Politics


Although a native of the state, Ramaswamy built his career largely in the corporate and national politi- cal arenas. Unlike more traditional candidates


who have spent years cultivating local party networks, he is often viewed by insiders as an outsider — an image that can be a liability in a state where retail politics and party organization still carry weight. Second, Ramaswamy’s political


Ohio Governor Race Millionaire biotech entrepreneur running neck and neck with Democrat in state Trump won by 11 points.


Vivek Faces Tough V BY JOHN GIZZI


ivek ramaswamy’s once- assumed glide path to the Ohio governor’s mansion is suddenly looking far less


certain, as latest polling suggests a competitive — and even unfavorable — landscape for the Republican entre- preneur-turned-politician. A Quantus Insights poll has jolted


Ohio’s political class, showing Dem- ocrat Amy Acton narrowly leading Ramaswamy, 45.9%-44.9%. The result is more striking in a state


that has leaned reliably Republican in recent cycles, with the GOP holding every statewide office and the gover- norship for the past 16 years. Even more alarming is that Presi-


dent Donald Trump won the Buckeye State by 11 points in 2024. An earlier poll commissioned by


the Ohio Environmental Council painted an even bleaker picture for Republicans, giving Acton a 10-point advantage among likely voters. Insiders say that poll was an aber-


ration — but it remains a horse race. For many Ohio Republicans, the


numbers are difficult to process. Acton is a physician who rose to prominence during the COVID-19


46 NEWSMAX | MAY 2026


pandemic as the state’s health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Still, she entered the race with lower


name recognition than Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur who gained national attention during his 2024 presidential bid. Despite Ramaswamy’s fundraising


edge — nearly $20 million to Acton’s roughly $5 million — and early back- ing from the state GOP, the race has tightened dramatically. Several factors appear to be contrib-


uting to Ramaswamy’s lag in the polls. First, his connection to Ohio’s Republican grassroots remains tenu- ous.


Unlike more traditional candidates who have spent years cultivating local party networks, he is oſten viewed by insiders as an outsider.


identity, forged during his unconven- tional 2024 presidential campaign, may be proving difficult to translate into a statewide coalition. His campaign emphasized sweep-


ing institutional change, including proposals to drastically reduce the federal workforce and overhaul vot- ing requirements. While these positions energized cer-


tain segments of the Republican base, they also raised concerns among more moderate voters and establishment Republicans wary of disruption. Ramaswamy also drew criticism for suggesting an isolationist foreign policy. Ramaswamy argued that the United


States should completely cut off mili- tary and financial aid to Israel unless Washington matched grants in the same amounts to its Arab neighbors. And he proposed that the United


States only defend Taiwan against China until it had removed the island nation’s semiconductor business to another country. But in his race for governor, Ramas-


wamy has made abolishing the state income tax a priority. At first blush it seems positive, but


critics have noted such a move would create an $11 billion budget shortfall, potentially leading to massive increases in sales and property taxes. “Polls show a toss-up at this point,”


noted Donald Critchlow of Arizona State University. Still, the polling underscores a cen-


tral challenge for Ramaswamy. He looks and feels like a social media influencer rather than a governor. He has just over five months to fix it.


JON CHERRY/GETTY IMAGES


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