Vivek Ramaswamy trails Amy Acton in Ohio governor’s race as polls deliver mixed results

Highlights:

Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is locked in a close contest with Democrat Amy Acton in the Ohio gubernatorial race, with recent polls offering conflicting assessments of the Republican candidate’s chances ahead of the November 3 election.

An ActiVote survey conducted from September 27 to October 19 gave Ramaswamy a three-point lead over Acton. However, a CNN-SSRS poll conducted between September 29 and October 5 showed Acton leading Ramaswamy by eight percentage points, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the race.

Prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket gave Acton a 70% chance of winning on Monday, compared with 31% for Ramaswamy. The figures reflect market expectations rather than traditional opinion polling.

Endorsed by president Donald Trump last year, the 41-year-old Ramaswamy entered the race as a Republican favorite. However, Acton, Ohio’s former state health director, has mounted a strong challenge as the campaign enters its final weeks.

If Ramaswamy wins on November 3, he would become the third person of Indian descent to serve as a US governor, following Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and Nikki Haley in South Carolina.

The campaign has not been without setbacks. In July, Ramaswamy faced boos and heckling during an appearance before college students in Ohio after delivering a speech framed around “winners versus whiners.”

“Are you in the camp of people in this country who want to win? Or are you in the camp of people who want to whine?” he asked the audience. The crowd responded negatively, and Ramaswamy was forced to leave the stage, ending the appearance with the phrase “peace out.”

The incident added to the challenges facing the Republican as he seeks to maintain support in a state that has backed Trump in all three presidential elections he contested, in 2016, 2020 and 2024.

Ohio has not elected a Democratic governor since Ted Strickland won in 2006. The state has also never elected a woman governor, making Acton’s candidacy significant in a contest that could test the strength of Republican support in the state.

Born in Cincinnati on August 9, 1985, Ramaswamy is the son of Indian immigrants whose roots trace back to Palakkad in Kerala. Raised in Ohio, he developed a reputation as an accomplished pianist and nationally ranked tennis player before graduating from Yale Law School in 2013. He had already become a millionaire by that stage of his career.

Ramaswamy launched a campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2023 but withdrew after a disappointing performance in the Iowa caucuses, subsequently endorsing Trump.

Following the 2024 presidential election, Trump appointed Ramaswamy and billionaire Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency initiative. Ramaswamy soon stepped away from the role to pursue the Ohio governorship.

With the race tightening, Trump and Vice President JD Vance have repeatedly visited Ohio to support Republican candidates and help keep the state in the party’s column. Vance is scheduled to campaign in Cincinnati on Wednesday, marking his second election rally in Ohio within a fortnight.

The final stretch of the campaign is likely to focus on turnout, candidate favorability and the ability of both parties to mobilize voters. While Ramaswamy retains support among Republicans, the conflicting polls and prediction-market assessments suggest that his path to victory may be more difficult than initially expected.