Ohio’s race for governor between Democrat Dr. Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is a statistical tie, a new web-based survey by the Bowling Green State University Democracy and Public Policy Network found. The September 2026 BGSU Poll, conducted from September 1-10, 2026, surveyed 1,000 likely Ohio voters and has a margin of error of approximately four percentage points.
Currently, Dr. Acton leads Mr. Ramaswamy 48% to 45%. This narrow difference places the race clearly within the margin of error. The poll indicates that Dr. Acton’s actual support level is likely between 44% and 52%, while Mr. Ramaswamy’s support ranges between 41% and 49%. Because these ranges overlap, the pollsters characterize the race as a statistical tie. The BGSU Poll emphasizes that such surveys provide a snapshot of voter sentiment at the time of administration, rather than a prediction for the November 3 election.
Demographic analysis from the poll reveals Dr. Acton leads among Independents, garnering 45% support compared to Mr. Ramaswamy’s 34%. The survey also found that women, younger voters, Black voters, and Hispanic voters tend to support Dr. Acton. Conversely, men, older voters, and white voters show a preference for Mr. Ramaswamy. These demographic trends are consistent with established patterns in the current American political landscape, according to the poll findings.
Educational background also appears to correlate with candidate preference. The BGSU Poll reported that voters with a four-year degree or more "overwhelmingly support Dr. Acton." In contrast, those without a four-year degree offer "more narrow support" for Mr. Ramaswamy.
The poll also examined political party support, noting differences in the strength of partisan loyalty. Ninety-six percent of Democrats support Dr. Acton, while 87% of Republicans support Mr. Ramaswamy. The poll highlights this difference in partisan support strength as potentially meaningful. Additionally, the survey found that 5% of Republicans support Libertarian candidate Don Kissick, with another 3% of Republicans indicating they plan to vote for someone else.
Regarding candidate favorability, Dr. Acton holds a net favorable/unfavorable rating of -1. Mr. Ramaswamy’s net favorability rating is -11. The poll suggested that a potential strategy for the Ramaswamy campaign could be to increase Dr. Acton’s "unfavorables" through personal attacks. However, the poll also cautioned that campaign messages designed to appeal to the Republican base might be "off-putting to moderates and Independents."
Political scientists often consider mid-term elections to be influenced by either a referendum on the incumbent president or heightened enthusiasm from the party that recently lost the presidency. The BGSU Poll indicates that both of these factors are currently benefiting Democrats. President Donald Trump has a net favorability rating of -16. Furthermore, Democratic-leaning voters demonstrate significantly more enthusiasm for turning out to vote than Republican voters, by a factor of nearly two to one. The poll concludes that both of these aspects "seem to be helping the Democrats."
Despite these advantages identified for the Acton campaign, the BGSU Poll underscores that the Ohio Governor’s election remains highly competitive, concluding that it is still a closely contested race.
