Ohio’s Nov. 3 governor election will put Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy’s Medicaid agenda and a dispute over a campaign ad before voters choosing between him and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton.
Ohio’s certified primary results named Ramaswamy and Acton as their parties’ nominees. The Ohio Secretary of State has scheduled the general election for Nov. 3, 2026.
Ramaswamy launched his campaign in Cincinnati on Feb. 24, 2025. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) lists him as a Republican presidential candidate for the 2024 election. WOSU Public Media has described a win as making him the first Indian American elected governor of Ohio.
His campaign proposes seeking federal approval to let Ohio retain at least 65 cents of each dollar saved through Medicaid fraud enforcement. The campaign says the state currently keeps less than 35 cents per dollar and argues that retaining more could help lower health care costs.
The campaign also proposes requiring eligible, able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid to complete 80 hours of work or education each month. Both measures remain campaign proposals, and the waiver would require federal approval. The campaign points to Tennessee’s waiver model, saying it freed $1.3 billion for health care priorities.
The Statehouse News Bureau reported that Ramaswamy’s campaign confirmed it produced an ad featuring Donna Arthur, Acton’s estranged mother, who disputed Acton’s account of her childhood. WOSU reported that Acton and her brother criticized the spot, saying it exploited her history of abuse and neglect.
The Associated Press reported that Ramaswamy said on Oct. 29 the ad’s planned run was over. Ohio’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to the secretary of state’s calendar.
