Amy Acton set to become Ohio’s first female governor after defeating Trump-backed Republican

According to projections by U.S. media, Democrat Amy Acton has won the race for governor of Ohio. She is expected to become the first woman to lead the state and the first Democrat to hold the office in two decades.

Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate backed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The result carries political weight because Ohio has voted for Trump in the last three presidential elections. In 2024, he won the state by 11 points over Kamala Harris.

The race became embroiled in controversy after Ramaswamy shared a video featuring Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, who called her daughter a “liar.”

Acton had previously said her mother ignored the sexual abuse she experienced as a child at the hands of her stepfather. He was later arrested and charged with raping her.

In a social media post, the Democratic candidate said she and her brother had endured abuse, hunger and abandonment.

The video Ramaswamy published drew widespread reaction in American politics. Ohio’s outgoing Republican senator, Mike DeWine, called on him to withdraw from the race.

Trump, by contrast, urged Ramaswamy to continue his campaign. The U.S. president said the public should also hear Acton’s mother’s account; he added that “anything goes” in an election campaign.