Democrat Amy Acton won Ohio’s gubernatorial race, according to unofficial election results. The Associated Press called the race at 10:49 p.m.
Acton’s victory marks the first time in 20 years that Ohio voters chose a Democrat to lead the state. The newcomer to politics will likely have her work cut out for her. Despite an overall positive night for his party, Acton will still be working with a Republican-controlled legislature.
Acton declares victory
Tuesday night was a good night for Democrats across the country and Ohio was no exception. In a downtown Columbus ballroom, Acton thanked his supporters and told them: “Ohio has chosen unity and decency – the healing begins today.” »
“This victory is for all Ohioans who yearn again for public servants,” she said, “who solve problems instead of creating them, and who don’t mistake kindness for weakness.”
Acton promised to be a governor for everyone in the state and to work with anyone, regardless of party, “to make life better for the people of Ohio.” She is committed to making life more affordable, fighting corruption and helping families get ahead, but she would need their help to “rebuild and create the Ohio we all dream of.”
Acton will take office in a very different state government. Not only did Democrats win the governor’s race, they also won the secretary of state race and flipped enough seats in the Ohio House of Representatives to break the Republicans’ supermajority.
“As a child, I was a victim of abuse and neglect, and I could never have imagined going from homeless to a doctor, let alone being here, the next governor of Ohio.”
The Ramaswamy concession
A few blocks from the Ohio Democratic Party, the mood among Republicans was more subdued. Young men and women in suits crowded around in shock. Over the past two election cycles, the party has won every state executive office, from treasurer to governor.
But in this year’s race, Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy performed worse than everyone else on the national ticket.
Robert Sprague, the Republican running for secretary of state, said “it was definitely a national wave” and that a number of good Republicans “were swept away tonight.”
The GOP will have plenty of time in the coming weeks and months to divvy up responsibilities and try to put the pieces back together. But by speaking to the Republican faithful, Ramaswamy tried to turn the page.
“It was a tough race,” he said. “It was bitter at times on both sides. But the time will come tomorrow, I hope, to bring this state together, through her leadership. And I have hope and confidence that she will do what is necessary to bring Ohio together.”
Ramaswamy thanked his wife and parents as well as his running mate Rob McColley and his family.
Yet even as Ramaswamy expressed hopes for Acton’s leadership, he acknowledged “serious concerns about the future direction of our country.”
“I still believe that as time goes on – (it) may take a little patience – but as time goes on, our state’s best days and our country’s best days will still be ahead of us,” Ramaswamy said.
How she got here
Acton rose to statewide prominence at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In daily briefings alongside Governor Mike DeWine, she distinguished herself as a communicator.
While Acton’s tenure as Ohio’s health director predisposed her to a political future, it also provided a source of ammunition for her opponent. Ramaswamy criticized her relentlessly – but not factually – calling her “Dr Lockdown”. Gov. Mike DeWine insisted the decision to close Ohio businesses was his and his alone.
Acton’s campaign did not get bogged down in pandemic recovery. Instead, she remained focused on affordability issues. Acton promised a “tax cut for working families,” combining a new earned income credit with a child tax credit. She pledged to reduce utility costs and launch a medical debt forgiveness program.
Acton also called for a gas tax holiday hours before Ramaswamy embraced the idea.
The announcement
In the final weeks of the campaign, it appeared that Acton might be on track to win the race as voters nationwide turned sour toward Republican leadership. But then an ad began circulating online, featuring Acton’s ex-mother, Donna Arthur, calling her a liar. In a matter of hours, Ramaswamy’s campaign went from issuing a statement that did not deny that they had run the ad to acknowledging that it was theirs.
The ad drew widespread condemnation and appears to have irreparably damaged Ramaswamy’s campaign.
Arthur sided with his husband and Acton’s father-in-law, Cledith Arthur, when Acton accused him of raping her when she was a child. Cledith had already faced accusations of incest and pedophilia during a previous marriage. After a Mahoning County grand jury indicted Cledith in the case involving Acton, he and Donna skipped bail and fled the state. Acton said the last time she saw her mother was at the courthouse almost 50 years ago.
Ramaswamy respected the announcement. He insisted Acton had lied about him and “that deserves to be corrected.” Vice President JD Vance also defended him, urging critics of the Republican Party to “stop whining.”
Speaking in Bexley on Tuesday morning after voting, Acton criticized Ramaswamy for releasing the advert. But she refused to acknowledge that it had put her over the top.
“By all indications, we were ahead from the beginning,” she said, pointing to her advantage in polls among independents and the number of Republican voters who told her they supported her.
“That’s what we saw on the ground,” she said. “He just hasn’t had a party.”
“I know and I believe that my opponent has crossed the line,” she added. “Five living governors on both sides have denounced what he did. I always felt there was no lower he wouldn’t go. I think he’s out of touch with reality. He’s independent and I always thought he was a danger to our state.”
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