Race · November 3, 2026

Governor · Ohio

3 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.1,2

The governor and lieutenant governor are elected together as a ticket: Amy Acton with David Pepper (Democratic), Don Kissick with James L. Mills (Libertarian), and Vivek Ramaswamy with Robert A. McColley (Republican).1,2

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

Amy Acton
Democratic · Open seat
Don Kissick
Libertarian · Open seat
Vivek Ramaswamy
Republican · Open seat

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

Scroll sideways on small screens. Select a name for the full page.
Amy ActonDon KissickVivek Ramaswamy
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,2Libertarian1,2Republican1,2
StatusOpen seatOpen seatOpen seat
MoneyCandidates for governor file campaign-finance reports with the state, not the FEC, so this guide doesn't include their fundraising.
Data centers and electricity costsHer campaign website supports a conditional moratorium on data centers unless they cover all of their utility costs, are built only with union labor, operate transparently, meet Ohio's environmental standards and are built on brownfields or industrial sites.3His campaign website says data centers use large amounts of electricity and water, are increasingly built on farmland, and receive tax incentives while residents face higher utility costs and less local control.4His campaign website says residents near a new data center should no longer pay for their home electricity and should pay lower property taxes, that data centers must meet all air and water standards, and that he would halt approval of new data center projects on his first day in office until such a law takes effect.5
Property taxes
Cap yearly increases or expand homeowner exemptions
Her campaign website says she would expand the homestead exemption by raising its income limit for seniors to $50,000, and offer a rebate of up to $1,000 to qualifying homeowners whose property tax bill rises more than 4% in a year.6
Eliminate property taxes on primary homes
His campaign website supports the amendment to end property taxes, and prefers local funding based on consumption instead.4		His campaign website says he would immediately roll back property taxes to their levels before the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, without affecting new construction or existing debt obligations.5,7

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Amy Acton — 14 issues
  • Abortion law
    Her campaign website says she would protect access to safe, legal abortion and fight attempts to undermine Issue 1, saying Ohio voters have made clear that they trust women to make their own decisions.8
  • Birth control and IVF
    Her campaign website says she would protect access to contraception, fertility treatments and miscarriage care.8
  • Animal welfare laws
    Her campaign website supports keeping animal care standards with the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, where farmers and the agriculture industry set them.9
  • Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity
    Her campaign website says she would push for state anti-discrimination laws covering jobs, housing, public accommodations and equal pay based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.10
  • Police funding
    Increase police funding, for example to hire more officers
    Her campaign website says she would fully fund police and local law enforcement, along with addiction treatment and mental health services.11
  • Collective bargaining for public employees
    Her campaign website says she would fight efforts to weaken unions and collective bargaining rights, and would enforce collective bargaining laws and crack down on wage theft and worker misclassification.12
  • Union fees and right-to-work laws
    Her campaign website says she would make sure Ohio never becomes a right-to-work state.12
  • State K-12 school funding
    Increase state funding for public schools
    Her campaign website says she would restore public school funding to a constitutional level by fully carrying out the bipartisan Fair School Funding Plan.6,13
  • Vouchers and education savings accounts
    No public money for private school or homeschooling costs
    Her campaign website says she would reform Ohio's school voucher system, which it says sends billions in taxpayer money to private schools without transparency or accountability, and that public money should be for public schools.13
  • Voter ID
    Her campaign website says she would work to protect early voting, prevent unjust voter purges and make sure ID requirements never become a financial barrier to voting.14
  • State clean electricity targets
    Her affordability agenda says she would reinstate the energy efficiency, demand response and renewable portfolio standards that were cut back under House Bill 6.15
  • Child tax credit
    Her campaign website proposes a Working Families Tax Cut with a state earned income credit and a child tax credit of $1,000 a year for children up to age 6 and $500 for ages 7 to 18, for families earning up to $85,000.15,16
  • Replacing lost federal funding
    Her campaign website says she would work to find funding to cover gaps in rural health care programs as funding is cut.17
  • High-speed internet access
    Her campaign website says she would work to bring high-speed internet to every rural and underserved community in Ohio.17
Don Kissick — 5 issues
  • Marijuana laws
    His campaign website says it wants to get government bureaucracy out of the marijuana industry, saying state rules favor the profits of a few distributors.4
  • Campaign finance rules
    His campaign website opposes political contributions from regulated monopolies in utilities, health care, telecom and insurance, and dark money, and supports a five-year ban on legislators becoming lobbyists.4
  • Same-sex marriage
    His campaign website supports a proposed state constitutional amendment to protect same-sex marriage in Ohio if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its earlier ruling.4
  • Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
    A path to citizenship for most who meet requirements such as background checks
    His campaign website says immigrants should have a clear lawful path to citizenship and be required to show good-faith progress toward legal status.4
  • Masks and identification for immigration officers
    His campaign website opposes federal enforcement agents who detain people without cause, wear masks and operate without clear identification, and says immigration enforcement should be civil rather than militarized.4
Vivek Ramaswamy — 5 issues
  • Cash bail and pretrial release
    Require bail or jail before trial for more charges
    His campaign website says he would enforce stricter bail and sentencing for repeat violent offenders.5
  • Permitting for energy projects
    His campaign website says he would expand natural gas production, streamline energy project permits and remove unnecessary regulations so projects are built on time.5
  • Gas tax and road funding
    His campaign website calls on the legislature to suspend Ohio's state motor fuel tax for 90 days, with about $750 million set aside to replace the lost road and bridge funding.18
  • State government spending
    His campaign website says he would cut government bloat so the state lives within its means.5
  • State income tax
    Phase out the state income tax
    His campaign website says he would phase out Ohio's state income tax, starting by eliminating the tax on capital gains.5

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.