DAYTON — Voters have selected Dr. Amy Acton as Ohio’s next governor, according to the AP.
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Acton, a Youngstown native, served as the director of the Ohio Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 until 2020.
She has been open about her difficult upbringing, including being removed from her mother’s care by the state after her stepfather was charged with sexually abusing her.
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Her opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, received bipartisan backlash after featuring her estranged mother in an ad.
Her campaign has focused on issues including lowering everyday costs for families, expanding access to healthcare, improving public education, data center regulation, and supporting labor unions.
She is the first woman elected governor of Ohio.
David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democrats, will serve as lieutenant governor.
Ramaswamy said he left Acton a message of congratulations after the race was called for him.
While he accepted the results and wished Acton well, he said he did have concerns.
“I do believe that there have been many ups and downs in our country’s history. But we have, in the end, still found our way upward, and I have confidence that sometimes these things happen for a reason,” Ramaswamy said Tuesday night.
Acton will be sworn into office on Jan. 11.
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