Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, won the Ohio gubernatorial GOP primary Tuesday, setting up a November showdown against Democrat Amy Acton.
Newsmax and Decision Desk HQ called the race for Ramaswamy about 45 minutes after polls closed. With 19% of the vote counted, Ramaswamy had 84.7%, well ahead of challenger Casey Putsch, who had 15.3%. Acton, the state’s former COVID-19 czar, ran unopposed.
Two-term Gov. Mike DeWine is prohibited from seeking a third term.
“If you care about giving your kids and your family the same shot at the American dream that this state and this country gave to me and my family, if you care about giving our kids that world-class education, then honest to God, we will work with you to lead our state to greater heights we have ever seen,” Ramaswamy said in a video of his victory party posted on X.
“Because we are not a state in decline, we are not a region in decline, we are not a nation in decline. We are a state and a nation still in our ascent.
“By the time we’re done, maybe even by the end of next year, it will be Ohio that sets the national standard that Texas and Tennessee and Florida look up to rather than the other way around.”
A closely watched Republican primary took place in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, held by Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in Congress. The seat is seen as one of the most favorable pickup opportunities for the GOP following mid-decade redistricting by the Legislature.
Newsmax and Decision Desk HQ called the race for Derek Merrin, a former state representative who narrowly lost to Kaptur in 2024. With 27% of the vote counted, Merrin had 46.9%, followed by Josh Williams at 24.5% and Madison Sheahan at 17.5% in the five-person primary.
Newsmax and Decision Desk HQ declared former Sen. Sherrod Brown the winner of the Democratic primary to face Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed by DeWine to replace JD Vance after Vance was elected vice president. With 29.1% of the vote counted, Brown had 91.6%, while challenger Ron Kincaid had 8.4%. Brown, 77, is a former three-term senator who lost his seat in 2024 to Republican Bernie Moreno.
