Ohio Governor Race Comes to Ross County as Many Voters Say They Are Still Unconvinced

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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (Heritage Headlines) – With early voting underway ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, both major candidates for Ohio governor have made stops in Ross County, though many local voters tell Heritage Headlines they remain unconvinced.

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy held a campaign stop in Chillicothe on the evening of Oct. 14 with the Ross County Republican Party. In a Facebook post the next day, Ramaswamy wrote, “Great visit to Chillicothe last night, Ross County ready to turn out STRONG.” Photos the campaign posted show the event in a small room with limited attendance and a largely older crowd. Ramaswamy also spoke at the Ross County Republican Party’s Christmas Gala at Bell Manor in December 2025.

Democrat Amy Acton visited the 82nd Ross County Fair on Aug. 9, taking part in the fair’s ceremonial ribbon cutting. “It was an honor to take part in the ceremonial ribbon cutting to help kick off a week of celebrating agriculture, community, and the traditions that make the Ross County Fair so special,” Acton wrote on social media. The Ross County Republican Party criticized Acton online following the visit. In July, the Ross County and Pickaway County Democratic central committees co-sponsored an Acton fundraiser at Crown Hill Golf Course near Williamsport in Pickaway County, according to the Circleville Herald.

What voters are saying

Heritage Headlines has heard from a number of readers who say they do not plan to vote in the governor’s race this year. That is the newsroom’s own observation, not a scientific survey.

Statewide polling shows a close race. Polling averages in mid-October show Acton ahead by about 4 to 5 percentage points, while a co/efficient poll conducted Oct. 5-6 showed Ramaswamy ahead 45% to 43%, with 8% undecided.

Readers have raised concerns about both candidates. For Acton, many point to her role as state health director in 2020, when the Ohio Department of Health issued COVID-19 orders that closed businesses and schools under Gov. Mike DeWine. Supporters have credited her as a calming voice during the pandemic, according to local Democrats quoted by the Circleville Herald.

For Ramaswamy, some readers say his description of America as an idea worries them amid concerns about immigration. Ramaswamy, the son of immigrants from India who came to the U.S. legally, told NBC News in 2023 that his father is not a U.S. citizen, calling it “a choice that he has made for familial reasons.” Noncitizens cannot vote in Ohio elections. His mother became a citizen. Ramaswamy has supported ending birthright citizenship for children of people in the country illegally.

Critics have also pointed to Ramaswamy’s biotech career. His company Axovant Sciences raised hundreds of millions of dollars in a 2015 public offering built around intepirdine, an Alzheimer’s drug it bought from GlaxoSmithKline after the drug had failed earlier trials. When intepirdine failed its final-stage trial in September 2017, Axovant’s stock plunged, Reuters reported. Acton’s campaign has run ads saying Ramaswamy pushed a drug “he knew didn’t work,” which PolitiFact rated Mostly False, finding no evidence he knew it would fail. Ramaswamy said in 2018 that given what was known at the time, “we would make the same decision.”

Critics have also pointed to Acton’s resignation as state health director in 2020, months into the pandemic, and to the health order she signed closing polls the night before Ohio’s March 2020 primary. Gov. Mike DeWine has said those pandemic decisions were his, saying, “The buck stops with the governor.”

Signs at an Acton campaign event told attendees they could take pictures but not record audio or video, according to photos the Ohio Republican Party posted on X. Ramaswamy shared the post, writing, “Never seen this before in politics.” The Statehouse News Bureau has also reported Acton staff announcing the no-recording rule at events. Ramaswamy’s running mate, state Sen. Rob McColley, criticized the policy, along with Acton’s decision not to debate. Acton said the decision comes down to security.

Following the money

The most recent Ohio campaign finance reports that include spending cover Jan. 1 through June 5, 2026. In that period, Ramaswamy’s campaign reported spending about $21.2 million and Acton’s campaign about $5.5 million, for a combined total of about $26.7 million, according to the filings as reported by NBC4.

Fundraising has continued since. Acton’s campaign says it has raised nearly $32 million to date, including about $6 million in September. Ramaswamy raised a little more than $3 million in September and has loaned his campaign more than $36 million of his own money, the Ohio Capital Journal reported. Outside groups have spent millions more, including the pro-Ramaswamy V-PAC.

The final report before the election, covering through Oct. 14, is due Oct. 22. Heritage Headlines will update these figures when it is filed.

What $26.7 million could buy

Homes: Nearly 100 homes at Ohio’s August median sale price of $268,000 ($26.7 million divided by $268,000).
Ohio State: About 1,900 years of in-state tuition and fees at $14,050 a year, or roughly 475 four-year degrees.
Ohio University: About 1,800 years of in-state tuition and fees at $14,802 a year ($7,401 a semester), or roughly 450 four-year degrees.
Meals: About 7.6 million meals at Feeding America’s Ohio average cost of $3.53 a meal.

Early voting is open at the Ross County Board of Elections. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Editor’s note: Photos from the candidates’ local stops posted on social media are copyrighted, so we used freely licensed photos instead.

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