Amy Acton Beats Vivek Ramaswamy, Defying GOP Attack Ad - Newsweek
Democrat Amy Acton won Ohio's gubernatorial race on Tuesday, defeating Republican Vivek Ramswamy and earning the chance to lead a state at the center of debates over the economy, AI data centers and the country's political future.
With 81 percent of votes counted, Acton had garnered 50.7 percent of the vote, while Ramaswamy had 46 percent.
Ohio emerged as a closely watched battleground this midterm cycle despite its steady shift to the right over the past decade. Once a premier swing state that backed former President Barack Obama twice, Ohio voted for President Donald Trump in three consecutive elections, including by 11 points in 2024. Trump’s declining approval rating, as well as voter frustration over the economy and the cost of living, made the Ohio governor’s race competitive this year. The competition tightened further after Ramaswamy faced a wave of backlash over a campaign ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother.
The governor-elect will take office facing major decisions on property taxes, energy policy and the future of Ohio's rapidly expanding data center industry. The campaigns highlighted competing visions for managing AI-driven economic development, with debates over utility costs, environmental safeguards and how aggressively the state should pursue new technology investment.
Once a premier presidential battleground, Ohio has become increasingly Republican over the past decade.
The outcome of the governor's race will offer one of the clearest signals yet about whether Democrats can still compete statewide in states reshaped by Trump's gains with rural and working-class voters.
It will also test whether Republicans' dominance has become firmly entrenched ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
A late attack ad from Ramaswamy's campaign sparked bipartisan criticism after it featured Acton’s estranged mother disputing her daughter's account of her childhood.
It drew criticism because Acton had previously discussed experiencing sexual abuse and homelessness during her childhood.
Several prominent Republicans, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, spoke out against the clip, while polling suggested it may have alienated some voters.
Trump played a central role in the Ohio governor's race, repeatedly using his political influence to boost Ramaswamy in the campaign's final stretch.
The U.S. President campaigned for Ramaswamy at rallies in Vandalia and Chillicothe and praised him as a key ally in advancing the administration's agenda as he urged Ohio voters to back him on Election Day.
Trump also participated in a statewide tele-rally for Ramaswamy and other Republican candidates.
AI data centers emerged as one of the defining issues of the campaign, highlighting a sharp divide between the candidates.
While both supported some form of regulation, Ramaswamy argued Ohio needed additional data center investment to remain competitive in the growing AI economy and opposed a moratorium on new projects.
Acton took a more cautious approach, backing a conditional moratorium on data center development and proposing requirements that operators cover the full cost of their energy and infrastructure needs while adhering to stricter transparency standards.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Oliver Pritchard.
