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Ohio governor's race

News · Heat 5.8 / 10 · 4 shows · 12m airtime

Ohio's 2026 governor's race, with Mike DeWine termed out, pits Democrat Amy Acton, DeWine's COVID-era health director, against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, the DOGE co-leader. A Marist poll from October put Ramaswamy at 38% favorable and 50% unfavorable, Acton at 43-44. Ramaswamy won the GOP nomination on Trump's endorsement and still trails Acton. He has faced racism and discrimination over his Hindu faith, an issue a primary opponent raised; Nikki Haley called him a bad guy, and that opponent called an ad revolting. A clip now circulating shows Acton asking whether masked ICE and CBP officers feel like the Ku Klux Klan, a remark that has moved the argument onto her. Fox's final pre-election power rankings have since moved the race…

How 4 podcasts covered it

  1. The NPR Politics Podcast, 2026-10-13 (11:04 to 16:40)
    Introduces the governor's race separately
    Introduces the Ohio governor's race as a separate contest from the Senate race: two first-time candidates, Ramaswamy's DOGE ties and weak Marist favorability, Acton's COVID record and the personal attacks against her.
    New angle: A Marist poll shows Ramaswamy at 38% favorable and 50% unfavorable, Acton at 43-44.
  2. The NPR Politics Podcast, 2026-10-13 (16:43 to 18:38)
    Reports Ramaswamy courting rural voters
    Kasler reports Ramaswamy is courting white working-class and rural voters at Lincoln Day dinners and county events while facing racism and discrimination over his Hindu faith; Montanaro notes Trump won 72% of white men without college degrees and rural Ohio voters in 2024.
    New angle: Ramaswamy faces racism and discrimination over his Hindu faith, and a primary opponent raised it as an issue.
  3. Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast, 2026-10-23 (10:18 to 11:28)
    Replays Ramaswamy's debate lowlights and polling gap
    Introduces Ramaswamy's Ohio governor bid by replaying his 2024 debate lowlights and the 'obnoxious blowhard' clip, then notes Trump's endorsement won him the nomination and that he trails Amy Acton.
    New angle: Ramaswamy won the Ohio GOP gubernatorial nomination on Trump's endorsement and trails Democrat Amy Acton in the polls.
  4. Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast, 2026-10-23 (12:43 to 13:32)
    Reads bipartisan blowback to the Ramaswamy ad
    Reads the bipartisan blowback to the Ramaswamy ad: Nikki Haley calls him a bad guy and his primary opponent calls the ad revolting. Puts on the record Republican condemnation the earlier poll-and-nomination segment did not have.
    New angle: Nikki Haley called Ramaswamy a bad guy, and his primary opponent called the ad revolting.
  5. The Dan Bongino Show, 2026-10-27 (31:48 to 33:16)
    Plays Acton's Klan comparison clip
    Plays a clip of Acton asking whether masked ICE and CBP officers feel like the Ku Klux Klan, and uses it to argue Ohio voters should vote against her. The first on-record Acton remark in this race's coverage, framed as a reason to oppose her rather than a poll or primary story.
    New angle: In a clip, Amy Acton asks whether masked ICE and CBP officers feel like the Ku Klux Klan.
  6. The Fox News Rundown, 2026-10-30 (8:33 to 10:00)
    Reads Fox's final Ohio rankings
    Bream reads the final Fox power rankings before Tuesday: Ohio's governor's race moves to lean Democrat, and she ties part of the slide to a Ramaswamy-backed ad featuring Acton's mother calling her a liar that backfired with voters.
    New angle: Fox's final pre-election power rankings moved the Ohio governor's race to lean Democrat.
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