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2026 Ohio gubernatorial election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Ohio. Incumbent Republican governor Mike DeWine is ineligible to seek re-election to a third consecutive term. Primary elections were held on May 5, with former state health director Amy Acton winning the Democratic nomination unopposed and billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy winning the Republican primary with only nominal opposition.
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November 3, 2026
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Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election in Ohio since 2006, nor a partisan statewide race since 2018. If elected, Ramaswamy would become the first Asian-American governor of Ohio and the first Hindu governor in the United States,[a] while if Acton is elected, she would become the state's first woman[b] elected governor, and would be the state's first Jewish governor.
The winner of the election will be inaugurated on January 11, 2027.[1]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Vivek Ramaswamy, founder of Roivant Sciences and candidate for president in 2024[2]
- Running mate: Rob McColley, president of the Ohio Senate (2025–present) from the 1st district (2017–present)[3]
Eliminated in primary
- Casey Putsch, automotive entrepreneur[4]
- Running mate: Kim Georgeton, Warren County central committee member[5]
Disqualified
Withdrawn
- Matt Mayer, former director of the Buckeye Institute[11]
- Robert Sprague, Ohio state treasurer (2019–present) (endorsed Ramaswamy, running for secretary of state)[12]
- Dave Yost, Ohio attorney general (2019–2026) and former Ohio state auditor (2011–2019)[13]
Declined
- Warren Davidson, U.S. representative from Ohio's 8th congressional district (2016–present) (endorsed Ramaswamy,[14], running for re-election)
- Jon Husted, U.S. senator (2025–present), former lieutenant governor (2019–2025), and candidate for governor in 2018[15] (endorsed Ramaswamy,[16] running for U.S. Senate)[17]
- Frank LaRose, Ohio secretary of state (2019–present) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024 (endorsed Ramaswamy,[18] running for state auditor)[19]
- Jim Tressel, lieutenant governor of Ohio (2025–present)[20]
Endorsements
Casey Putsch
- Organizations
Vivek Ramaswamy
- Executive branch officials
- Elon Musk, former senior advisor to the president (2025) (Independent)[22]
- Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[22]
- JD Vance, vice president of the United States (2025–present)[23]
- U.S. senators
- Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee (2019–present)[24]
- Jon Husted, Ohio (2025–present)[25]
- Mike Lee, Utah (2011–present)[24]
- Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming (2021–present)[26]
- Bernie Moreno, Ohio (2025–present)[27]
- Rob Portman, former Ohio (2011–2023)[28]
- Rick Scott, Florida (2019–present)[24]
- U.S. representatives
- Warren Davidson, OH-08 (2016–present)[29]
- Jim Jordan, OH-04 (2007–present)[30]
- Greg Lopez, former CO-04 (2024–2025) (Independent)[31][c]
- Michael Rulli, OH-06 (2024–present)[30]
- David Taylor, OH-02 (2025–present)[32]
- Brad Wenstrup, former OH-02 (2013–2025)[28]
- Statewide officials
- Mike DeWine, governor of Ohio (2019–present)[33] (previously declined to endorse)[34]
- Patrick F. Fischer, justice of the Ohio Supreme Court (2017–present)[35]
- Frank LaRose, secretary of state of Ohio (2019–present)[18]
- Robert Sprague, state treasurer of Ohio (2019–present)[12]
- Bob Taft, former governor of Ohio (1999–2007)[28]
- State legislators
- Theresa Gavarone, majority leader of the Ohio Senate (2025–present) from the 2nd district (2019–present)[27]
- Matt Huffman, speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives (2025–present) from the 78th district (2025–present)[36]
- Rob McColley, president of the Ohio senate (2025–present) from the 1st district (2017–present)[37]
- Bill Reineke, president pro tempore of the Ohio Senate (2025–present) from the 26th district (2021–present)[27]
- 12 other current state senators[d]
- 7 other current state representatives[e]
- Local officials
- 65 Ohio county sheriffs[44]
- Matt Miller, mayor of Ashland, Ohio[45]
- Christopher Smitherman, former vice mayor of Cincinnati (2018–2022) (Independent)[35]
- Party branches
- Party officials
- Alex Triantafilou, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party (2023–present)[48]
- Individuals
- Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue[49]
- Steve Hilton, former Fox News host and candidate in the 2026 California gubernatorial election[31]
- Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA (deceased)[50]
- Anthony Muñoz, former professional football player[35]
- Jake Paul, professional boxer and YouTuber[51]
- Donald Trump Jr., businessman and son of president Donald Trump[50]
- Political parties
- Organizations
- Armenian National Committee of America[53]
- Buckeye Firearms Association[54]
- Construction Employers Association[55]
- NRA Political Victory Fund[56]
- Ohio Cattlemen's Association[57]
- Ohio Chamber of Commerce[58]
- Ohio Corn & Wheat[59]
- Ohio Real Estate Investors Association[60]
- Ohio Right to Life[61][62]
- Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio[63]
- Veterans for America First[64]
- Labor unions
- Affiliated Construction Trades of Ohio[65]
- Central Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters[66]
- Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council[67]
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18[68]
- Northwest Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council[69]
- Ohio Conference of Teamsters[70]
- Ohio Laborers' District Council[71]
- Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters[72]
Dave Yost (withdrawn)
- Statewide officials
- Ken Blackwell, former Ohio secretary of state (1999–2007)[73]
- Local officials
- 30 county sheriffs[74]
Declined to endorse
- Statewide officials
Mike DeWine, governor of Ohio (2019–present)[34] (later endorsed Ramaswamy)[33]- Dave Yost, attorney general of Ohio (2019–2026)[75]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[f] |
Margin of error |
Heather Hill |
Casey Putsch |
Vivek Ramaswamy |
Dave Yost |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill gets disqualified[9] | |||||||||
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[76] | April 7–14, 2026 | 383 (LV) | – | 12% | 12% | 76% | – | ||
| Putsch declares his candidacy[4] | |||||||||
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[77] | October 2–14, 2025 | 287 (RV) | – | 18% | – | 76% | – | 6%[g] | – |
| Yost withdraws his candidacy[13] | |||||||||
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[78][79] | April 18–24, 2025 | 359 (RV) | – | 4% | – | 64% | 13% | 19%[h] | – |
| Fabrizio, Lee & Associates (R)[80] | April 6–10, 2025 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 1% | – | 71% | 10% | 11%[i] | 8% |
| – | – | 75% | 19% | – | 6% | ||||
| – | – | 77% | – | 17%[j] | 6% | ||||
| Ramaswamy declares his candidacy[2] | |||||||||
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[81] | February 14–21, 2025 | 800 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 9% | – | 61% | 24% | – | 9% |
| National Public Affairs (R)[82][A] | February 2–5, 2025 | 602 (RV) | ± 4.0% | – | – | 46% | 18% | 2%[k] | 34% |
| WPA Intelligence (R)[83][B] | January 28–30, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | – | – | 57% | 26% | 6%[l] | 10% |
| Fabrizio, Lee & Associates (R)[84][C] | January 26–27, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | – | – | 52% | 18% | 3%[m] | 27% |
Results
Ramaswamy
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 676,562 | 82.43 | ||
| Republican |
|
144,184 | 17.57 | |
| Total votes | 820,746 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Department of Health (2019–2020)[86][87]
- Running mate: David Pepper, former chair of Ohio Democratic Party (2015–2020), former Hamilton County commissioner (2007–2011), nominee for state auditor in 2010, and nominee for attorney general in 2014[88]
Withdrawn
- Jacob Chiara (endorsed Acton)[89]
Declined
- Sherrod Brown, former U.S. senator (2007–2025) (running for U.S. Senate, endorsed Acton)[90][91]
- Shontel Brown, U.S. representative from Ohio's 11th congressional district (2021–present) (running for re-election)[92]
- Greg Landsman, U.S. representative from Ohio's 1st congressional district (2023–present) (running for re-election)[93][92]
- 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[94] (running for Secretary of State)[95]
- Tim Ryan, former U.S. representative (2003–2023), nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022, and candidate for president in 2020[96]
- Emilia Sykes, U.S. representative from Ohio's 13th congressional district (2023–present) (running for re-election)[93][92]
Endorsements
Amy Acton
- Executive branch officials
- John Patterson, former state executive director of the Farm Service Agency (2022–2025)[97]
- U.S. senators
- Sherrod Brown, former Ohio (2007–2025) and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2026[91]
- U.S. representatives
- Ed Feighan, former OH-19 (1983–1993)[98]
- Mary Jo Kilroy, former OH-15 (2009–2011)[98]
- Statewide officials
- Dick Celeste, former governor of Ohio (1983–1991)[98]
- Teresa Fedor, member of the Ohio State Board of Education from the 2nd district (2023–present)[99]
- Jim Petro, former attorney general of Ohio (2003–2007) (Republican)[100]
- Ted Strickland, former governor of Ohio (2007–2011)[101]
- State representatives
- Munira Abdullahi, state representative from the 9th district[102]
- Rachel Baker, state representative from the 27th district[102]
- Crystal Lett, state representative from the 11th district[102]
- 13 other state representatives[103][102]
- 3 former state representatives[104][99]
- State senators
- 7 current and former state senators[103][105][106]
- Local officials
- Justin Bibb, mayor of Cleveland (2022–present)[107]
- Andrew Ginther, mayor of Columbus (2016–present)[107]
- Wade Kapszukiewicz, mayor of Toledo (2018–present)[107]
- Aftab Pureval, mayor of Cincinnati (2022–present)[107]
- Nan Whaley, former mayor of Dayton (2014–2022) and Democratic nominee in the 2022 Ohio gubernatorial election[108]
- Party officials
- Jaime Harrison, former chair of the Democratic National Committee (2021–2025)[109]
- Individuals
- Nick Fuentes, far-right political commentator and influencer[110]
- Ed O'Neill, actor[111]
- Connie Schultz, columnist and wife of Sherrod Brown[112]
- Political parties
- Labor unions
- AFL-CIO Ohio[114]
- American Federation of Government Employees[115]
- American Nurses Association Ohio[116]
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees[117]
- Communications Workers of America[115]
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades[118]
- Ohio Education Association[119]
- Ohio Federation of Teachers[115]
- Service Employees International Union[120]
- United Auto Workers[121]
- United Mine Workers of America[115]
- United Steelworkers[118]
- Organizations
Polling
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[f] |
Margin of error |
Amy Acton |
Sherrod Brown |
Tim Ryan |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Ryan declines to run for governor | ||||||||
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[77] | October 2–14, 2025 | 377 (RV) | – | 50% | – | 41% | 8%[n] | – |
| Sherrod Brown announces his candidacy for the U.S. Senate[126] | ||||||||
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[78][79] | April 18–24, 2025 | 335 (RV) | – | 20% | 59% | 16% | 14%[o] | – |
| 52% | – | 38% | 10%[p] | – | ||||
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[81] | February 14–21, 2025 | 335 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 20% | 59% | 17% | – | 4% |
| 46% | – | 45% | – | 9% | ||||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 767,360 | 100.00 | ||
| Total votes | 767,360 | 100.00 | ||
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[128]
- Running mate: James Mills[129]
Eliminated in primary
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian |
|
8,705 | 97.97 | |
| Libertarian |
|
180 | 2.03 | |
| Total votes | 8,885 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Elections[132] | Lean R | June 25, 2026 |
| Race to the WH[133] | Tossup | June 19, 2026 |
| RealClearPolitics[134] | Tossup | June 5, 2026 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[135] | Lean R | September 4, 2025 |
| The Cook Political Report[136] | Lean R | September 11, 2025 |
Post-primary endorsements
Amy Acton (D)
- Statewide officials
- Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky (2019–present)[137]
Polling
Aggregate polls
| Source of poll aggregation |
Dates administered |
Dates updated |
Vivek Ramaswamy (R) |
Amy Acton (D) |
Other/ |
Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270toWin[138] | June 3–25, 2026 | June 25, 2026 | 46.5% | 48.5% | 5.0% | Acton +2.0% |
| Decision Desk HQ[139] | through June 4, 2026 | June 25, 2026 | 44.9% | 47.9% | 7.2% | Acton +3.0% |
| Race to the WH[140] | through June 16, 2026 | June 25, 2026 | 46.3% | 47.5% | 6.2% | Acton +1.2% |
| RealClearPolitics[141] | March 13 – June 16, 2026 | June 25, 2026 | 46.5% | 47.5% | 6.0% | Acton +1.0% |
| Average | 46.1% | 47.9% | 6.1% | Acton +1.8% | ||
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[f] |
Margin of error |
Vivek Ramaswamy (R) |
Amy Acton (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabrizio Ward (R)/ Impact Research (D)[142][D] |
June 14-16, 2026 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 44% | 47% | 1% | 9% |
| Tulchin Research (D)[143][E] | June 2–4, 2026 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 44% | 47% | – | 9% |
| Beacon Research (D)/ Shaw & Co. Research (R)[144][F] |
May 28 – June 1, 2026 | 1,015 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 49% | 50% | – | 1% |
| Primary elections are held | |||||||
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[76] | April 7–14, 2026 | 1,000 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 48% | 47% | 5%[r] | – |
| Echelon Insights (R)[145][G] | April 3–9, 2026 | 413 (LV) | ± 5.8% | 49% | 44% | – | 7% |
| Quantus Insights (R)[146] | March 13–14, 2026 | 809 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 45% | 46% | 3%[s] | 6% |
| EMC Research (D)[147][H] | February 10–22, 2026 | 1,343 (LV) | ± 2.7% | 43% | 53% | – | 4% |
| Emerson College[148] | December 6–8, 2025 | 850 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 45% | 46% | – | 9% |
| Data Targeting (R)[149][I] | December 3–8, 2025 | 603 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 45% | 43% | – | 12% |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[77] | October 2–14, 2025 | 800 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 50% | 47% | 3%[t] | – |
| Hart Research (D)[150][J] | September 19–22, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 45% | 46% | – | 9% |
| Emerson College[151] | August 18–19, 2025 | 1,000 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 49% | 39% | – | 12% |
| Impact Research (D)[152][K] | July 24–28, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 47% | 46% | – | 7% |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[78][79] | April 18–24, 2025 | 800 (RV) | ± 4.1% | 50% | 45% | 5%[r] | – |
| Ramaswamy declares his candidacy | |||||||
| Public Policy Polling (D)[153][L] | February 19–20, 2025 | 642 (RV) | ± 3.9% | 44% | 45% | – | 11% |
Hypothetical polling
Vivek Ramaswamy vs. Tim Ryan
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[f] |
Margin of error |
Vivek Ramaswamy (R) |
Tim Ryan (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[77] | October 2–14, 2025 | 800 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 49% | 47% | 4%[u] | – |
| Emerson College[151] | August 18–19, 2025 | 1,000 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 49% | 41% | – | 10% |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov[78][79] | April 18–24, 2025 | 800 (RV) | ± 4.1% | 51% | 44% | 5%[r] | – |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[153][L] | February 19–20, 2025 | 642 (RV) | ± 3.9% | 48% | 42% | – | 10% |
Dave Yost vs. Amy Acton
Dave Yost vs. Tim Ryan
Jim Tressel vs. Amy Acton
Jim Tressel vs. Tim Ryan
See also
Notes
- Bobby Jindal was born Hindu but converted to Christianity as a teenager.
- Acton would be the first woman elected governor, but would be the second to serve in the position. Nancy Hollister served as governor, albeit for only 11 days, following George Voinovich's resignation to join the U.S. Senate. To date, Hollister is the only woman to have served as governor of Ohio.
- Lopez was a Republican throughout his tenure in Congress and at the time of his endorsement. He left the party in 2026.
- Andrew Brenner, state senator from the 19th district (2019–present)[27]
- Brian Chavez, state senator from the 30th district (2023–present)[27]
- Jerry Cirino, state senator from the 18th district (2021–present)[27]
- Steve Huffman, state senator from the 5th district (2019–present)[27]
- Terry Johnson, state senator from the 14th district (2019–present)[27]
- George Lang, state senator from the 4th district (2021–present)[27]
- Susan Manchester, state senator from the 12th district (2025–present)[27]
- Sandra O'Brien, state senator from the 32nd district (2021–present)[27]
- Michele Reynolds, state senator from the 3rd district (2023–present)[27]
- Kristina Roegner, state senator from the 27th district (2019–present)[27]
- Jane Timken, state senator from the 29th district (2025–present)[27]
- Shane Wilkin, state senator from the 17th district (2023–present)[27]
- Rodney Creech, state representative from the 40th district (2023–present)[38]
- Kellie Deeter, state representative from the 54th district (2024–present)[39]
- Ron Ferguson, state representative from the 96th district (2021–present)[40]
- Tex Fischer, state representative from the 59th district (2024–present)[41]
- Adam Mathews, state representative from the 56th district (2023–present)[42]
- Nick Santucci, state representative from the 64th district (2023–present)[41]
- Josh Williams, state representative from the 44th district (2023–present)[43]
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - "Someone else" with 6%
- Jim Tressel with 14%
- Jim Tressel with 11%
- Jim Tressel with 17%
- Robert Sprague and Jeremiah Workman with 1%
- Robert Sprague with 6%
- Robert Sprague with 2%; Jeremiah Workman with 1%
- "Someone else" with 8%
- "Neither" with 14%
- "Someone else" with 10%
- Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other candidates combined.
- "Someone else" with 5%
- "Some other candidate" with 3%
- "Someone else" with 3%
- "Someone else" with 4%
- "Someone else" with 9%
- "Someone else" with 11%
Partisan clients
- Poll sponsored by Yost's campaign
- Poll sponsored by Club for Growth
- Poll sponsored by Ramaswamy's campaign
- Poll conducted for John Kulewicz, Democratic candidate for Attorney General
- Poll sponsored by NetChoice
- Polling commissioned by Ohio Environmental Council, an environmental organization
- Poll sponsored by T. Roosevelt Action, a nonprofit organization committed to advocating for the rights of hunters and anglers across the United States.
- Poll sponsored by the Ohio Federation of Teachers
- Poll sponsored by Acton's campaign
- Poll sponsored by 314 Action, an organization dedicated to electing Democratic scientists to public office.