Ohio’s 2026 Gubernatorial Race: Candidates, Policies, and More

Representing the Republican Party is Vivek Ramaswamy, with Ohio Senate President Rob McColley as his running mate. A native to Cincinnati, Ohio, Ramaswamy has a background in entrepreneurship, founding the pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences in 2014. He self-advertises as “running on a conservative, business-grounded agenda,” and his campaign promises more money in his potential constituents’ pockets. To deliver this, he intends to slash property taxes, reduce energy costs, phase out Ohio’s state income tax and reduce “government bloat” as stated on his campaign’s website.

In addition, Ramaswamy insists on raising state academic standards: focusing on literacy, numeracy, and civics benchmarks; paying teachers more by drawing in top talent into the profession; and expanding career-technical education for Ohio students to create pathways to real-world jobs. Ramaswamy also supports a tougher stance on crime to “restore law and order in our cities”, stating that he will back the blue and enforce stricter bail and sentencing requirements for repeat offenders.

The Democratic Party candidate is Dr. Amy Action, with former chair of the Ohio Democrats David Pepper as her running mate. Acton was raised in Youngstown, Ohio and makes no secret of her difficult childhood. This upbringing shaped her worldview and led her to medical school — and later, her role as director of the Ohio Department of Health. Now, she is running for governor on a similarly caring agenda, promising to secure tax cuts for families, end governmental corruption and lower costs of health care.

Acton’s campaign also recognizes the importance of education, aiming to restore public school funding and guaranteeing free breakfast and lunch for all students. She also intends to protect reproductive freedoms, push for anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ+ and Black Ohioans, and support veterans and rural communities by bolstering their respective infrastructures to ensure their health.

Finally, Don Kissick, with James Mills as his running mate, represents the Libertarian Party. Kissick served in the U.S. Navy for six years and moved to Ohio with his late wife Marcy in 2007, now residing permanently in the northwestern part of the state. As implied by his political affiliation, Kissick’s campaign promises to protect individual liberties — he intends to secure property tax cuts, promote small businesses and end unnecessary governmental oversight.

Unlike his opponents, Kissick takes a stance on Flock cameras, stating that he would restrict or prohibit their use entirely in Ohio to make sure that Ohioans are “treated like free people, not suspects whose daily movements belong in a government-accessible database.” He also supports legal recognition of LGBTQ+ marriages in Ohio, the deregulation of the marijuana industry and barring legislators from becoming lobbyists for 5 years after they leave office to prevent corruption. His campaign also opposes ICE, mentioning that immigration enforcement should be civil, not militarized — and that the process to obtain citizenship should be straightforward, with violations dealt with “like any other criminal infraction.”