There has long been little doubt that tech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy would be the Republican nominee for Ohio governor this year. Tuesday’s primary left no doubt, as Ramaswamy cruised to an easy win over two other candidates listed on the ballot, though votes for only one of them counted.
Ramaswamy won with a comfortable margin over two longshot candidates: Casey Putsch, a northwest Ohio car designer and racing team owner new to politics and Heather Hill, a former county board of education president. Hill’s running mate Stu Moats withdrew from the ticket on April 18, after a few days of insults lobbed back and forth between the two on social media. Without a lieutenant governor candidate on her ticket, the secretary of state deemed Hill ineligible to receive votes.
Ramaswamy had taken an aggressive but traditional route to securing the nomination. He left President Trump’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency in January. He lined up support among prominent Republicans even before officially launching his campaign on Feb. 23, 2025. But that evening he got what many Republicans have seen as the most important vote of confidence, as President Trump threw what he called his “complete and total endorsement” behind Ramaswamy. The Ohio Republican Party followed suit in May. Trump endorsed Ramaswamy again on Nov. 7, and again on Tuesday.
Putsch was a late entry to the race, jumping into it in December. He tried to appeal to Trump voters, claiming to be the “America First” candidate. But he also described himself as an alternative to Ramaswamy, stressing his Christian faith and saying he didn’t think Ramaswamy had the “track record for caring” that he does. His social media posts attacking Ramaswamy got more critical in the month that followed, as Putsch and his supporters took racist shots at Ramaswamy’s Indian heritage.
Ramaswamy will face Democrat Dr. Amy Acton in the general election in the fall. Acton is the former state health director, appointed to that position in 2019 by Republican Mike DeWine as he became governor. Acton played a critical role in Ohio’s response to the COVID pandemic, signing orders from DeWine restricting in-person gatherings, shutting non-essential businesses and closing K-12 schools. Republicans have been calling her “Dr. Lockdown’ and using those actions to campaign against Acton. DeWine has defended her work as his health director, even though he’s endorsed Ramaswamy, and has said those pandemic-related decisions “were made by the governor”.
Acton was unopposed in this primary. Acton told the crowd gathered at the Democratic Party Election Night Headquarters that the choice in November will be about more than politics. She stressed the need to make life more affordable for Ohioans. She drew a contrast between herself and Ramaswamy by saying she was a kid who overcame challenges like poverty and abuse, while he is a billionaire who flies around in a plane so he doesn't have to drive an hour and a half. Acton said Ramaswamy doesn’t understand the problems facing Ohioans.
“This isn’t about political party, guys, it’s not about that anymore. It is about extreme wealth, power, ideologies, special interests against everyone else.”
Acton characterized her campaign as people-powered and grassroots. And she said everywhere she goes, she hears from Ohioans who support her because they want to end the vitriol in politics. She said many Ohioans believe it’s time for a change.
“We are seeing record numbers of people everywhere we go in this state. It does not know party. Everyone is ready for us to turn this around.”
Democrats are hoping the blue wave that is projected to hit many states in November will be big enough to sweep Acton into the governor's office, putting the party back in the governor’s office for the first time in two decades.
