The 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Ohio. Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Democratic former state health director Amy Acton are the nominees for their respective parties. Republican incumbent governor Mike DeWine is ineligible to seek a third consecutive term.
Primary elections were held on May 5, with Ramaswamy defeating minimal opposition for the Republican nomination and Acton running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. If elected, Ramaswamy would become the first Indian American governor of Ohio and the first Hindu governor in the United States. Acton would be Ohio's first elected female and first Jewish governor if elected.
The campaign has been described as "ugly" and heavily reliant on negative campaigning. Ramaswamy has focused on Acton's background to portray her as dishonest and mentally ill, while Acton has portrayed Ramaswamy as an out-of-touch plutocrat and con artist.
Democrats have not won the state's gubernatorial election in Ohio since 2006. The winner of the election will be inaugurated on January 11, 2027.
The 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Ohio. Former state health director Amy Acton defeated Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy by nearly eight points. Republican incumbent governor Mike DeWine was ineligible to seek a third consecutive term.
Primary elections were held on May 5, with Ramaswamy defeating minimal opposition for the Republican nomination and Acton running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Acton will be Ohio's first elected female and first Jewish governor. If he had been elected, Ramaswamy would have become the first Indian American governor of Ohio and the first Hindu governor in the United States.
The campaign was described as "ugly" and heavily reliant on negative campaigning. Ramaswamy directly attacked Acton's background, questioning her mental fitness for office by making claims that the childhood abuse she faced was exaggerated. Ramaswamy also faced harsh criticism for his false attack ads featuring Acton's estranged mother. Acton, meanwhile, labeled Ramaswamy an "out-of-touch plutocrat" and "con artist."
Polls throughout the campaign indicated a competitive race. However, following the release of the widely condemned ad of Acton's mother, Ramaswamy fell behind in polls, causing many news organizations to predict a Democratic flip. These predictions were proven correct, as Amy Acton won the election by an 8% margin. This is the first time Democrats have won a gubernatorial election in Ohio since 2006. Acton will be inaugurated on January 11, 2027.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Vivek Ramaswamy, founder of Roivant Sciences and candidate for president in 2024
Running mate: Rob McColley, president of the Ohio Senate (2025–present) from the 1st district (2017–present)
Eliminated in primary
Casey Putsch, automotive entrepreneur
Running mate: Kim Georgeton, Warren County central committee member
Disqualified
Heather Hill, business owner, and former president of the Morgan County School Board
Running mate: Stuart Moats, business owner and reality TV star
Not on ballot
Renea Turner
Running mate: Jalen Turner
Withdrawn
Matt Mayer, former director of the Buckeye Institute
Robert Sprague, Ohio state treasurer (2019–present) (endorsed Ramaswamy, ran for secretary of state)
Dave Yost, Ohio attorney general (2019–2026) and former Ohio state auditor (2011–2019)
Declined
Warren Davidson, U.S. representative from Ohio's 8th congressional district (2016–present) (endorsed Ramaswamy, ran successfully for re-election)
Jon Husted, U.S. senator (2025–present), former lieutenant governor (2019–2025), and candidate for governor in 2018 (endorsed Ramaswamy, ran for U.S. Senate)
Frank LaRose, Ohio secretary of state (2019–present) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024 (endorsed Ramaswamy, ran successfully for state auditor)
Jim Tressel, lieutenant governor of Ohio (2025–present)
Endorsements
Casey Putsch
Vivek Ramaswamy
Elon Musk, former senior advisor to the president (2025) (Independent)
Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)
JD Vance, vice president of the United States (2025–present)
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee (2019–present)
Jon Husted, Ohio (2025–present)
Mike Lee, Utah (2011–present)
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming (2021–present)
Bernie Moreno, Ohio (2025–present)
Rob Portman, former Ohio (2011–2023)
Rick Scott, Florida (2019–present)
Warren Davidson, OH-08 (2016–present)
Jim Jordan, OH-04 (2007–present)
Greg Lopez, former CO-04 (2024–2025) (Independent)
Max Miller, OH-07 (2023–present)
Michael Rulli, OH-06 (2024–present)
David Taylor, OH-02 (2025–present)
Brad Wenstrup, former OH-02 (2013–2025)
Mike DeWine, governor of Ohio (2019–present) (previously declined to endorse)
Patrick F. Fischer, justice of the Ohio Supreme Court (2017–present)
Frank LaRose, secretary of state of Ohio (2019–present)
Robert Sprague, state treasurer of Ohio (2019–present)
Bob Taft, former governor of Ohio (1999–2007)
Theresa Gavarone, majority leader of the Ohio Senate (2025–present) from the 2nd district (2019–present)
Matt Huffman, speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives (2025–present) from the 78th district (2025–present)
Rob McColley, president of the Ohio senate (2025–present) from the 1st district (2017–present)
Bill Reineke, president pro tempore of the Ohio Senate (2025–present) from the 26th district (2021–present)
12 other current state senators
7 other current state representatives
65 Ohio county sheriffs
Matt Miller, mayor of Ashland, Ohio
Christopher Smitherman, former vice mayor of Cincinnati (2018–2022) (Independent)
Columbiana County Republican Party
Pickaway County Republican Party
Warren County Republican Party
Alex Triantafilou, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party (2023–present)
Steve Hilton, former Fox News host and candidate in the 2026 California gubernatorial election
Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA (deceased)
Anthony Muñoz, former professional football player
Jake Paul, professional boxer and YouTuber
Donald Trump Jr., businessman and son of president Donald Trump
Ohio Republican Party
Armenian National Committee of America
Buckeye Firearms Association
Construction Employers Association
NRA Political Victory Fund
Ohio Chamber of Commerce
Ohio Real Estate Investors Association
Ohio Right to Life
Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio
Veterans for America First
Central Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18
Ohio Conference of Teamsters
Ohio Laborers' District Council
Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Department of Health (2019–2020)
Running mate: David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party (2015–2020), former Hamilton County commissioner (2007–2011), nominee for state auditor in 2010, and nominee for attorney general in 2014
Withdrawn
Jacob Chiara (endorsed Acton)
Declined
Sherrod Brown, former U.S. senator (2007–2025) (ran successfully for U.S. Senate, endorsed Acton)
Shontel Brown, U.S. representative from Ohio's 11th congressional district (2021–present) (ran successfully for re-election)
Greg Landsman, U.S. representative from Ohio's 1st congressional district (2023–present) (ran successfully for re-election)
Allison Russo, former minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives (2022–2025) and nominee for Ohio's 15th congressional district in the 2021 special election (ran successfully for secretary of state)
Tim Ryan, former U.S. representative (2003–2023), nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022, and candidate for president in 2020
Emilia Sykes, U.S. representative from Ohio's 13th congressional district (2023–present) (ran successfully for re-election)
Endorsements
Amy Acton
John Patterson, former state executive director of the Farm Service Agency (2022–2025)
Sherrod Brown, former Ohio (2007–2025) and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2026
Ed Feighan, former OH-19 (1983–1993)
Mary Jo Kilroy, former OH-15 (2009–2011)
Dick Celeste, former governor of Ohio (1983–1991)
Teresa Fedor, member of the Ohio State Board of Education from the 2nd district (2023–present)
Jim Petro, former attorney general of Ohio (2003–2007) (Republican)
Ted Strickland, former governor of Ohio (2007–2011)
7 current and former state senators
Munira Abdullahi, HD-09 (2023–present)
Rachel Baker, HD-27 (2023–present)
Crystal Lett, HD-11 (2025–present)
13 other state representatives
3 former state representatives
Justin Bibb, mayor of Cleveland (2022–present)
Andrew Ginther, mayor of Columbus (2016–present)
Wade Kapszukiewicz, mayor of Toledo (2018–present)
Aftab Pureval, mayor of Cincinnati (2022–present)
Nan Whaley, former mayor of Dayton (2014–2022) and Democratic nominee in the 2022 Ohio gubernatorial election
Jaime Harrison, former chair of the Democratic National Committee (2021–2025)
Ed O'Neill, actor
Connie Schultz, columnist and wife of Sherrod Brown
Ohio Democratic Party
AFL-CIO Ohio
American Federation of Government Employees
American Nurses Association Ohio
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Communications Workers of America
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
Ohio Education Association
Ohio Federation of Teachers
Service Employees International Union
United Auto Workers
United Mine Workers of America
United Steelworkers
314 Action
College Democrats of America
EMILYs List
End Citizens United
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
Don Kissick, television station operator, nominee for Ohio's 5th congressional district in 2018, and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2024
Running mate: James Mills
Eliminated in primary
Travis Jon Vought (write-in)
Running mate: Christy Jo Orr
Independent and other party candidates
Write-in candidates
Declared
Timothy Grady, write-in candidate for governor in 2022
Andrea Neutz
Heather Hill, business owner, former president of the Morgan County School Board, and Republican primary candidate for governor in 2026
Patrick Manley
Renea Turner, Republican primary candidate for governor in 2026
Jalen Turner, Republican primary candidate for lieutenant governor in 2026
Ron Ula
Michael C. Lehnerd
General election
Campaign
On September 2, Ramaswamy accepted invitations to participate in gubernatorial debates hosted by CNN and WLWT and called on Acton to join him. Acton's campaign subsequently declined, citing what it characterized as inaccurate and personal attacks in Ramaswamy's campaign advertising. As a result, no debates between the two major-party nominees were held.
Canfield Fair incident
On September 6, Acton was attacked at a campaign event at the Canfield Fair. An armed individual lunged at her and was apprehended by local authorities. Several campaign volunteers suffered minor injuries. The suspect, Patrick Havas, was charged with "two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct."
Gas tax holiday
On September 21, Acton called for an emergency gas tax holiday to provide relief to Ohioans amid rising fuel prices. Ramaswamy subsequently proposed suspending Ohio's gasoline and diesel taxes for 90 days, working with Republican legislative leaders to advance the measure. On September 30, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 519, which temporarily suspended the state's gasoline and diesel taxes for 90 days, with $725 million in state general revenue funds allocated to replace the lost revenue. Governor Mike DeWine signed the bill into law on October 1, with the tax holiday taking effect on October 4.
Attacks on Amy Acton's upbringing and ad controversy
The Ramaswamy campaign was described as "ugly" and heavily focused upon negative campaigning.
An attack ad by the Ramaswamy campaign focused on Acton's background to portray her as dishonest and mentally ill, claiming that she had "lied" and "exaggerated" about being abused, despite evidence that she had undergone childhood rape, other types of sexual abuse, homelessness, poverty, and parental neglect. The ad featuring Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, denouncing her received nationwide attention after it was publicized on social media on October 19. Acton has been estranged from her mother since she was removed from the family home at the age of 12 after her stepfather was charged with raping her. Acton's brother said the two were removed from their mother's custody after their stepfather was indicted for raping Acton as a child. Acton has not seen her mother since. Her mother's husband was indicted but failed to reappear for trial and has since died.
The advertisement was first publicized by Ohio political blogger D.J. Byrnes, who writes under the pseudonym The Rooster. Byrnes had learned that the campaign was developing an advertisement featuring Acton's mother and subsequently obtained a recording of it through a political message-testing survey conducted by the polling firm Dynata.
Connie Luck, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy's campaign, took credit for creating it and said the ad will "air both online and on TV in the closing days of the campaign". On October 21, 2026, the Ramaswamy campaign said it would spend $4 million to broadcast the ad despite widespread bipartisan condemnation. Ohio Republicans, including Senator Jon Husted and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, publicly criticized the ad and Governor Mike DeWine also called for it to be pulled. President Trump and Vice President Vance expressed support for the ad, encouraging Ramaswamy to keep running it, and criticized DeWine for his opposition.
The editorial board of the Cleveland newspaper The Plain Dealer reversed its policy of not endorsing candidates for governor to endorse Acton because of the ad. The board wrote the ad "reveals a failure of judgment that Ohio cannot afford in its governor".
Ramaswamy's campaign stopped airing the ad in late October, after $1 million had been spent on the campaign, according to AdImpact.
Post-primary endorsements
Vivek Ramaswamy (R)
Amy Acton (D)
Pete Buttigieg, former secretary of transportation (2021–2025)
Barack Obama, former president of the United States (2009–2017)
Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky (2019-present)
Mikie Sherrill, governor of New Jersey (2026–present)
Johnny Olszewski, MD-02 (2025–present)
Nick Fuentes, far-right political commentator
John Legend, singer
MK Pritzker, First Lady of Illinois (2019–present)