Amy Acton (D) defeated Vivek Ramaswamy (R) and Don Kissick (L) in the general election for governor of Ohio on November 3, 2026. Incumbent Mike DeWine (R) was term-limited.

Ohio voters last elected a Democratic governor in 2006 when Ted Strickland (D) defeated J. Kenneth Blackwell (R) 61%-37%. Ohio voted for President Donald Trump (R) in 2016, 2020, and 2024. The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the election Lean Democratic, while Inside Elections rated it a Toss-up.

The New York Times' Campbell Robertson and Jessica Contrera wrote, "While Dr. Acton is fighting the state’s rightward lean, Mr. Ramaswamy is facing a more acute problem: representing the party in power before a broadly unhappy electorate." They added, "Ramaswamy ... captures one element of voter rage: He’s a billionaire who made his mint off pharmaceuticals, finance and technology. But ... Dr. Acton, carries her own baggage in an environment where trust is in short supply: She guided state Covid policy in the opening months of the pandemic." As of November 3, 2026, RealClear Polling's average polling for the race was Acton with 49.6% of the vote and Ramaswamy with 45.1%.

DeWine, a Republican, appointed Acton director of the Ohio Department of Health in 2019. According to The New York Times' Kate Zernike, "[Acton's] service to Mr. DeWine ... could be a perfect calling card in an increasingly Republican state, marking her as a pragmatic moderate willing to work across party lines." AP's Julie Carr Smyth wrote, "Ramaswamy has parlayed his national name recognition, tech industry connections and alliance with President Donald Trump into a record fundraising haul that he is tapping for advertising spots aimed at the November election."

Acton was a physician and the state's health director from February 26, 2019, to June 11, 2020. She ran alongside lieutenant governor candidate David Pepper (D), a lawyer and former Cincinnati councilmember. Acton said, "The cost of gas, health care, utilities; there's no more breathing room. As governor, I'll take on the corruption that's raising our costs, cut taxes for the middle class, and work with both parties to solve problems instead of making them."

Ramaswamy was a biotech entrepreneur and ran for president in 2024. He ran alongside lieutenant governor candidate Robert McColley (R), the president of the Ohio Senate. Ramaswamy said he would "revive the American Dream in Ohio. ... That means bringing down costs, cutting red tape, reducing government waste, and expanding our energy supply. It means lowering taxes and fueling economic growth so families can buy homes, start businesses, and build their futures right here in our state – all while improving education for our kids."

This was one of 36 gubernatorial elections that took place in 2026. At the time of the 2026 elections, there were 26 Republican governors and 24 Democratic governors.

Heading into the 2026 elections, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 16 Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments where neither party held trifecta control. There were 24 Republican triplexes, 21 Democratic triplexes, and five divided governments where neither party held triplex control.

A state government trifecta refers to a situation where one party controls a state's governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. A state government triplex refers to a situation where the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party.