Republican Vivek Ramaswamy trailed Democrat Amy Acton in two new polls of the Ohio governor’s race released Tuesday by Marist University and Suffolk University, a blow to the GOP candidate in the conservative-leaning state just five weeks before the midterm elections. Democrats are hoping to stage a comeback in Ohio this year. The Buckeye State was once a battleground that backed former President Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 elections but has since shifted rightward, giving President Donald Trump a double-digit victory in 2024.
Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who rose to national prominence during his 2024 presidential run, is running against Acton, who led the Ohio Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The race is expected to be one of the closest of the midterms, with forecasters like the Cook Political Report considering it a toss-up. Acton led by 9 points, 50 percent to 41 percent, in the Suffolk poll.
It is her strongest lead in any survey since February. Meanwhile, she held a 6-point lead in the Marist poll, 50 percent to 44 percent. The Suffolk poll surveyed 500 likely voters September 23-27, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
The Marist poll surveyed 1,298 registered voters September 24-27, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. Newsweek reached out to the Acton and Ramaswamy campaigns for comment via email. The pair of polls found that independent voters and women are bolstering Acton’s showing in the state.
Acton led by 25 points among independents, 57 percent to 32 percent, in the Marist poll. She also led by 12 points among women, 53 percent to 41 percent. In the Suffolk poll, Acton led independents by 37 points, 64 percent to 27 percent.
She led women by 19 points, 55 percent to 36 percent. For comparison, Trump won both groups in 2024 in Ohio. He won independents by 2 points, 50 percent to 48 percent, and women by a single point, 50 percent to 49 percent, according to CNN.
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