The Ohio gubernatorial election will take place Nov. 3 between Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy from Cincinnati and Democratic candidate Amy Acton from Youngstown.
The election will replace the current Gov. Mike DeWine, who has held the position since 2019.
Dewine has expressed his opinion on the election, endorsing Vivek Ramaswamy to be the next governor, according to a news release. Ramaswamy’s campaign was also backed by President Donald Trump, who called Ramaswamy “Young, Strong and Smart!” as reported by The Associated Press.
Amy Acton is the former Ohio Health Director who served on DeWine’s public health team during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AP reported. Neither candidate has experience in a political office, with Ramaswamy having run an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2024.
Acton and her supporters raised concerns about Ramaswamy’s overuse of private jets to travel to different campaign destinations.
According to campaign finance records from the Ohio Secretary of State, Ramaswamy spent over $780,000 on private jet travel in 2025. Ramaswamy leased jets from various private airport locations across Ohio and the U.S.
He most commonly leases planes from Coshocton County, but has also used services in Indiana, Utah and New York. Among his travel expenditures, Ramaswamy also spent nearly $12,000 on a trip to a Ritz Carlton in Puerto Rico in November 2025.
Acton spent an estimated $26,000 on her campaign travel in 2025, including both driving and airfare. Acton has been outspoken on social media about her preference to drive across the state, with most of her travel expenses coming from gas mileage, according to an Instagram post.
She preferred to take commercial airlines such as Southwest and United for out-of-state events. The total sum of her airfare expenses in 2025 was about $3,420, which is about 0.4% of what Ramaswamy spent last year on campaign airplane travel.
In January, both candidates chose their running mates and potential lieutenant governors, according to the AP. Acton and Ramaswamy both decided on experienced politicians who have held government positions.
Ramaswamy’s pick for lieutenant governor is Rob McColley, the current president of the Ohio Senate, according to his campaign website. McColley is a lawyer with strong experience in the statehouse and a notable conservative agenda.
Aiden Fox, a senior at OU, majoring in political science, who is also the president of the Ohio University College Republicans, said McColley is a favorable pick among Republicans and would provide good experience to Ramaswamy’s office.
“He has an established Republican presence,” Fox said. “... He’s someone who knows the state and has the political acumen, so I think it was a smart pick.”
Fox said he got the opportunity to meet Ramaswamy at the GOP Lincoln Day dinner held by the Athens County Republican Party in April 2025. He said Southeast Ohio will be a very important campaign stop for both candidates.
“We have a lot of people who are historically underrepresented and would love their voices to be heard,” Fox said. “I think that’s part of the key to winning any statewide office will be making sure that they get a couple of stops down here.”
Acton chose former Ohio Democratic Chair David Pepper to be her running mate, according to her campaign website. Pepper is a prominent Cincinnati politician, previously serving on the city council and the Hamilton County Commission.
Matthew Malone, president of the Athens County Young Democrats, said he thinks this is a great pick for Acton’s running mate because he can support her through the complicated political landscape.
“Navigating the political system is not as easy as one may think,” Malone said. “You want to have a partner there with you that can balance you out in areas you may not be as strong.”
The Athens County Young Democrats, along with the OU College Democrats, hosted an event with Acton in November at Jackie O’s Taproom, according to a previous report by The Post.
Malone said he was really glad she was able to come to Athens and talk to the young people in the community. He said he feels that Athens and the Appalachian region will be important in the upcoming election.
"When we think about places where you find Democratic voters, you think big cities,” Malone said. “I do think that Athens is crucial for her to not only get their vote, but to understand what is necessary for us to realize that she is the right candidate for the state of Ohio.”
Ohio citizens can register to vote for the gubernatorial election until Oct. 5. Information about voter registration and polling locations can be found on the Ohio Secretary of State website, or voters can visit their county board of elections website. Athens residents can early vote starting Oct. 6 at the Athens County Board of Elections.
