COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters now know the names at the top of the ballot this November, after Tuesday’s primary election set up two major statewide races.
The fall campaign will feature former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown against Republican Senator Jon Husted in the U.S. Senate race, and Democrat Amy Acton against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor’s race. Both contests are expected to draw national attention and significant campaign spending.
Senate race: Brown tries for a comeback
Brown won the Democratic primary and will face Husted in November. Brown previously served three terms in the U.S. Senate before losing his seat in 2024. He is now attempting to return to Washington by winning the special election for the remainder of the Senate term originally won by JD Vance in 2022.
Husted, Ohio’s former lieutenant governor, was appointed to the Senate after Vance became vice president. He did not face a Republican primary opponent.
The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country.
Governor’s race: Ramaswamy faces Acton
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who became nationally known during the 2024 Republican presidential primary, won his party’s nomination with support from President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party.
Acton is a physician and former Ohio health director who became widely known during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, appearing alongside Governor Mike DeWine during daily briefings. That pandemic-era profile may help her with some voters but also gives Republicans a clear line of attack — her role in public health restrictions during COVID remains a politically divisive issue in Ohio.
The governor’s race carries added significance because Governor DeWine cannot run again due to term limits.
Congressional races also take shape
Tuesday’s primary also set several congressional contests across Ohio. Republicans are targeting Democratic-held seats including districts currently represented by Marcy Kaptur in northwest Ohio and Greg Landsman in the Cincinnati area. Democrats are also looking for opportunities after new congressional maps reshaped parts of the state.
Ohio currently has 15 U.S. House seats, with Republicans holding most of them.
The general election campaign runs through November.
