The new year is bringing movement in the race for governor. Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton is celebrating a year since she filed her paperwork, while Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is touting another fundraising record and confirming his pick for his running mate.
On Tuesday, Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed that he's selected Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) as his selection for lieutenant governor. McColley was long thought to be either the pick or on the short list, though he was also said to be interested in joining the GOP primary to run against U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH 9). The district she represents was redrawn to tip toward the Republican candidate in a new GOP-proposed map approved unanimously by the Ohio Redistricting Commission in October.
Ramaswamy raised just under $9.9 million in the second half of last year, on top of setting a record in the first half of 2025 with $9.7 million. Though the tech billionaire is endorsed by President Trump and the Ohio Republican Party, he’s facing a primary in May with automotive engineer Casey Putsch, who’s positioning himself to the right of Ramaswamy.
“You simply don’t see this level of support in a gubernatorial race in Ohio," his campaign manager Jonathan Ewing said in a statement. "Raising $9.88 million in a single reporting period and nearly $20 million in the year before the election sends an unmistakable message: Vivek’s campaign has historic momentum that no other campaign can match." The statement also notes Ramaswamy has hosted 112 campaign events with fundraising, and that the numbers don't include any personal investment from Ramaswamy.
The winner of the May primary will run against Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health. Her campaign isn’t releasing dollar figures, but has said her fundraising has outpaced any previous Democratic candidate for governor.
"Vivek Ramaswamy is an out of touch billionaire who flies around the state on a private jet calling Ohioans lazy while cozying up to companies who outsource our jobs and pushing an agenda that will make life even more unaffordable for Ohioans," said Acton's campaign communications director Addie Bullock in a statement. "No amount of money will change the fact that Vivek Ramaswamy doesn't understand what Ohioans are going through and can't be trusted to fight for us."
The candidates are required to file campaign finance reports covering the period through Dec. 31, 2025 on Jan. 30. Both campaigns are expected to attract national money too. Ramaswamy also has a political action committee and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation; Acton does not.
Ramaswamy will formally introduce McColley at an event in Cleveland Wednesday. There's no word on who Acton has chosen for her ticket. She also has an event planned on Wednesday, which her campaign said will be a roundtable to address "Ohio's affordability crisis and rising costs". The deadline to file paperwork to run is Feb. 4.
