The two candidates, Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy, are running for governor and share a similarity: neither has had a large past in politics, instead focusing on medical needs.
According to the campaign’s about page on ActonForGovernor.com, Acton was born in Youngstown, Ohio and is currently living in Bexley, Ohio. She is 59 years old and is married to her husband, Eric and has six children.
“Vivek Ramaswamy is a husband, father and proud Cincinnati native who believes deeply in Ohio’s promise. He and his wife of ten years, Dr. Apoorva Ramaswamy (a throat surgeon at Ohio State), are raising their family in greater Columbus,” according to a spokesperson for the Vivek Ramaswamy Ohio campaign.
Before running for governor, Acton was a pediatrician. In 2019, Gov. Mike DeWine asked Acton to join his administration as Director of the Ohio Department of Public Health. She worked with republicans and democrats throughout Ohio to hold drug companies accountable for the opioid epidemic and fund addiction recovery programs. Acton received a Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in 2021 and was named Woman of the Year for Ohio by USA Today in 2022, according to the campaign’s about page on ActonForGovernor.com.
In the 2024 Ramaswamy ran for the presidential primary, Ramaswamy ran but dropped out on Jan. 13, 2025, after finishing fourth in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses, according to an article written by the Associated Press.
“In 2014, he founded the biotech giant, Roivant, which has developed life-changing, FDA-approved therapies for patients, including children with a deadly congenital disease, women with endometriosis and uterine fibroids, men with prostate cancer, psoriasis and other diseases,” according to a spokesperson for the Vivek Ramaswamy Ohio campaign. “He also co-founded Chapter, a billion-dollar-plus company that serves elder Americans by connecting them with the right Medicare plans for their particular health needs, as well as Strive, an innovative financial services firm that stands for financial freedom.”
According to the campaign’s about page on ActonForGovernor.com, Acton wanted to become Ohio’s governor because she refuses to look away from Ohioans who are struggling while politicians in Columbus cater to billionaires and corporations.
“Vivek is running for governor to lift all Ohioans, and he’s grateful to have the support of such a broad coalition,” according to a spokesperson for the Vivek Ramaswamy Ohio campaign.
Acton wants to reduce costs for Ohio families, cleaning up corruption, improving education, lowering the cost of healthcare, growing Ohio jobs and businesses, standing up for workers, building safer communities, ensuring reproductive freedom and aging in place, according to the campaign’s issues page on ActonForGovernor.com.
“As governor, Vivek will focus above all on keeping more money in Ohioans’ pockets, improving education and crushing crime. Educational achievement is a top priority for Vivek, and he’s focused on advancing policies to make Ohio the top state in the nation for children to receive a world-class education that prepares them for real life,” according to a spokesperson for the Vivek Ramaswamy Ohio campaign. “He aims to make the American Dream affordable for every Ohioan by combating rising costs. He’ll reduce property taxes to make homeownership more affordable.”
The candidates will face off in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026, when Ohio voters choose the state’s next governor.
