US midterm elections: Vivek Ramaswamy loses to Democrat Amy Acton in Ohio

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who was a presidential candidate in 2024 and a biotech billionaire, has been defeated by Democrat Amy Acton, a physician who was the health director during the COVID pandemic in Ohio. CNN and AP called the race.

Acton led with 50.79 per cent of the votes, while Ramaswamy trailed with 45.85 per cent votes. Trump’s Republicans won that state by over 11 points in 2024. This is the first time a Democrat has been elected as a governor in Ohio since 2006.

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Acton had become a household name in the seat as Ohio dealt with a wave of deaths and social disruption. Even though a Democrat, Acton is known to have worked closely with Republican Governor Mike DeWine.

Meanwhile, Ramaswamy ran with the endorsement of Donald Trump, and the loss is seen as a setback for the president.

The race was a particularly fraught one. In the run up, Ramaswamy ran an advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother calling the physician a liar. The advertisement was condemned across the political spectrum.

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Outgoing Republican governor Mike DeWine condemned it but President Trump praised the ad. It was kept on air for over a week.