First Muslim senator, first Black female governor: 2026 midterm election results make history
The 2026 midterm elections yielded historic results around the nation, with Black and female politicians slated to serve as governors for the first time in some states, the first Muslim set to join the U.S. Senate, and more. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., won the Sunshine State’s gubernatorial race, and will become the state’s first Black governor, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, will be the Badger State’s first Black governor. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won Georgia’s gubernatorial election, will become the first Black woman to serve as the governor of any state in American history — she will also be the Peach State’s first female governor and first Black governor. Democratic Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who defeated incumbent GOP Gov. Greg Abbott in the Lone Star State’s gubernatorial race, will be the state’s first Hispanic governor. Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated Republican rival former Rep. Mike Rogers, is slated to become the first Muslim senator in the nation’s history. WATCH 2026 MIDTERM ELECTION RESULTS LIVE & KEY RACE CALLS IN TX, OH, MI, WI, GA, IA, NV, ME, FL Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., who defeated Republican opponent former Sen. John Sununu, will be the first openly gay man to serve as a U.S. senator. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who was appointed to the Senate following the death of her brother Sen. Lindsey Graham, is the first woman to serve as senator from the Palmetto state — but she lost the Senate election to Democratic rival Annie Andrews, who is now the first woman to ever be elected as a senator in South Carolina. Women are set to serve as governors in several states for the first time, though in Minnesota and Tennessee, that outcome was anticipated since the gubernatorial races featured female Republican and Democratic candidates. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., won in Minnesota’s gubernatorial contest, while Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., won in Tennessee. ABDUL EL-SAYED DELIVERS MAJOR BLOW TO GOP IN MICHIGAN AFTER BRUISING SENATE RACE Former Ohio Department of Health director Amy Acton, who defeated Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy in the state’s gubernatorial contest, is the first woman ever elected to serve as governor in the Buckeye State. More than two decades ago, Ohio’s then-Lt. Gov. Nancy Hollister ascended to the governorship for a brief period of less than two weeks, succeeding George Voinovich, who departed the governorship to serve as a U.S. senator. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a Democrat who won New Mexico’s gubernatorial race, is slated to become the first Native American woman to serve as governor in any state. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is the first Native American woman elected to serve in the Senate chamber. And while the outcome of the Alaska U.S. Senate contest remains unclear, if former Rep. Mary Peltola were to win that race, she would join Flanagan as the first two Native American women elected to the Senate. GEORGIA GOVERNOR’S MANSION PROJECTED TO FLIP BLUE FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 30 YEARS In Louisiana, Rep. Julia Letlow won the state’s U.S. Senate race and will become its first Republican female senator. Fox News’ Emily Reynolds contributed to this report
Mike Johnson not running to lead House GOP after historic midterm losses
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., does not plan to lead House Republicans in the next Congress after his razor-thin majority dissolved under a tidal wave of Democrat victories. Johnson revealed the news on an all-staff call on Wednesday morning, Fox News Digital is told by two sources. The development comes shortly after it became public that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, will mount a bid to be minority leader next year. It’s not immediately clear how far in advance Johnson’s call was planned. The speaker’s remarkable rise to power began with his ascension from relative obscurity to win the gavel in October 2023, following the ouster of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. JIM JORDAN THROWS HAT IN RING FOR HOUSE MINORITY LEADER AS GOP PICKS UP PIECES AFTER BLUE WAVE Johnson, who only came to Congress in 2017, had won the unanimous backing of his colleagues after three weeks of chaos that paralyzed the legislative branch where the House was leaderless. He spent the majority of his time in recent months crisscrossing the country for GOP candidates in a bid to keep his leadership spot. But those efforts apparently were not enough to stave off significant losses across both battleground districts and seats that were considered Republican strongholds. DEM PROBES COULD ‘TORTURE’ YOUNG TRUMP OFFICIALS WITH CRUSHING LEGAL BILLS, SUBPOENAED CONSERVATIVE WARNS Among the most stunning losses projected Tuesday night include Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., and Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., is also expected to lose his race despite leading the House GOP campaign arm. Johnson conceded the House was lost at his election night party in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana on Tuesday night. “From the first day of this election, we knew that to keep the House and sustain our majority, we would have to defy more than a century of midterm history,” Johnson told the audience. “It’s only happened twice in 90 years that a sitting president has picked up or held seats for his party in that first two-year cycle, and there’s a lot of reasons for it. It’s very, very difficult to overcome. And it looks like history will be kept tonight.” The race to lead the House GOP in the minority will now be between Jordan and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Johnson’s No. 2. Johnson’s No. 3, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told colleagues he would be running for the whip job in the minority.
Jim Jordan throws hat in ring for House minority leader as GOP picks up pieces after blue wave
There’s blood in the water as House Republicans watch their razor-thin majority disappear under an ocean of Democratic victories. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is throwing his hat in the ring to lead the chamber’s Republicans for the next two years, two sources told Fox News Digital, potentially setting up a bruising battle against Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to be in charge of the House minority. Jordan began making calls to colleagues after House Republicans’ massive losses began taking shape late on Tuesday night, Fox News Digital was told. In a letter sent to House GOP colleagues on Wednesday morning, first obtained by Fox News Digital, Jordan called the day after the elections “staggering.” INSIDE TOP TRUMP BULLDOG’S PLAN TO SAVE HOUSE GOP MAJORITY AND DEFY HISTORY “We are all losing colleagues and friends who’ve been valuable members of our Conference and leaders in our party. As we look to the future, we must learn from these results,” Jordan wrote. “I am battle-tested on the oversight front and I know the Democrats’ playbook. I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority, to stay unified, and to coordinate and calibrate our response to the Democrats’ tactics.” It comes as the House of Representatives is projected to fall into Democratic hands for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. Republican lawmakers had for months expected Jordan to launch a bid for House minority leader should they lose the House majority in this year’s elections. He’s quietly been building up support and goodwill within the House GOP and spent much of the midterm season campaigning for various Republican candidates across the country. Whoever wins House minority leader is all but guaranteed to take on the role of Trump’s top defender against a barrage of Democrat-led investigations and potentially even impeachment efforts. Jordan has spent the last six years as top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, where he’s gone toe-to-toe with the very Democrats who will likely be at the forefront of the Trump accountability push. DEM PROBES COULD ‘TORTURE’ YOUNG TRUMP OFFICIALS WITH CRUSHING LEGAL BILLS, SUBPOENAED CONSERVATIVE WARNS Jordan previously ran for House speaker in October 2023 after a GOP rebellion deposed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., but failed to clinch the necessary chamber-wide majority. Moderate Republicans who opposed that campaign accused Jordan’s allies of fomenting an aggressive public pressure campaign that even escalated to death threats in some instances. But the Ohio Republican has spent recent years morphing his image from a divisive GOP bomb-thrower to a unifying leader for the right — and he’s even campaigned for some of those same moderate Republicans who opposed him previously. MIKE JOHNSON’S FUTURE HANGS IN BALANCE AS THE ‘ACCIDENTAL SPEAKER’ MARKS 3 YEARS And becoming minority leader is significantly easier than becoming House speaker. A candidate for speaker must get a majority of the entire House of Representatives to win the gavel, but a minority leader only needs a majority of their party. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told staff on Wednesday morning that he will not seek the minority leader role, sources told Fox News Digital. Jordan is poised to face a significant challenge, however, from current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. Scalise, as a member of senior House leadership, has been crisscrossing the country in support of fellow Republicans and has spent years as a potent fundraiser for the right. It comes after a devastating night for Republicans across the federal and state levels. Both battleground-district Republicans and GOP lawmakers in safe-red seats fell to a tsunami of Democratic victories. The losses prompted House Republicans to demand new leadership, which could work out in Jordan’s favor, and many of those moderates who had opposed Jordan’s 2023 speakership bid lost their seats on Tuesday night.
Democrat seize House control in stunning blue tsunami, vow retribution against Trump admin
Democrats have seized the House majority and will control the lower chamber of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term, the Fox News Decision Desk projects. An unprecedented blue wave saw Democrats pull off stunning upsets in both battleground House districts and areas considered safe red seats. The Fox News Decision Desk projects the GOP suffered major losses in four key groups: Hispanic voters, young voters, independents and rural Americans. THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. HERE’S WHAT’S AT STAKE ON ELECTION DAY Top Democrats did not hesitate in signaling they would be raring to go after various investigations targeting Trump and his administration. “Lawyer up,” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the likely next House Oversight Committee chairman, said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. The X account belonging to Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee posted at Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, “Clear your calendar.” Among Democrats’ most stunning upset victories in the House came against Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who switched parties from Democrat to Republican during the first Trump administration. Democrat Jamie Ager defeated his Republican challenger in North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, a previous GOP stronghold that became vulnerable after retiring Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., announced he would not seek re-election amid sexual harassment allegations. This story is breaking and will be updated…
Longtime Dem Sen who lost his seat 2 years ago projected to secure comeback victory in midterm battleground
Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is projected to win his bid to return to the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio just two years after losing his seat to Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, the Fox News Decision Desk projects. Brown’s victory marks a remarkable political comeback for the longtime Ohio Democrat, who served in the Senate from 2007 until 2025 before Moreno ousted him in one of the most closely watched races of the 2024 election. The Democrat will return to Washington after defeating Husted in a special election to serve the remainder of the term originally won by Vice President JD Vance. Husted was appointed to the seat by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in January 2025 after Vance resigned from the Senate to serve as President Donald Trump’s No. 2. Brown previously represented Ohio in the U.S. House and served as the state’s secretary of state and a member of the Ohio House. THE NINE KEY RACES THAT WILL DECIDE WHO CONTROLS THE SENATE, AND WHERE THEY STAND The timing of Brown’s return to Washington will depend on when Ohio certifies the election and when he is formally sworn in. Brown could be sworn in during the lame-duck session, potentially changing the Senate’s voting math before the new Congress convenes. The Ohio race was viewed as a key battleground because Democrats saw the state as one of their best opportunities to erode the GOP’s narrow Senate majority, while Republicans viewed Husted’s seat as critical to maintaining control of the chamber. FOX NEWS POLL: ECONOMIC ANXIETY AND CANDIDATE CONCERNS DEFINE OHIO SENATE RACE Brown’s win came two years after he lost his Senate seat to Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, as Ohio continued its shift toward the GOP in presidential elections. Former President Donald Trump carried the state by 11 percentage points in 2024, and Republicans argued that Brown’s return would amount to a restoration of the Democratic establishment that Ohio voters had rejected. Brown sought to overcome those headwinds by emphasizing his record on manufacturing, organized labor, trade, consumer protections and economic issues. His campaign focused heavily on the cost of living, gas and diesel prices, health care and the impact of Republican policies on working-class Ohioans. The candidates also clashed over data centers and energy costs. Brown criticized Husted’s role in supporting major economic development projects involving data centers, arguing that Ohio taxpayers and consumers could be left responsible for the infrastructure and energy demands associated with the facilities. Husted defended the projects as a way to bring jobs and investment to Ohio. He also pointed to legislation aimed at preventing taxpayers from bearing the operating costs of large data centers which Democrats blocked in the Senate. Husted, a longtime figure in Ohio Republican politics, campaigned on his record as the state’s lieutenant governor, secretary of state and House speaker. He argued that Brown would return to Washington as a reliable vote for Senate Democrats and national party leaders. Brown’s victory gives Democrats a huge boost in their bid to take back control of the United States Senate when the votes are all counted after Election Day.
GOP governor defies Dem enthusiasm, tough political climate to win re-election in key swing state
The Fox News Decision Desk projects that Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte has defeated Democratic challenger Cinde Warmington in New Hampshire’s gubernatorial election. Defying a rough political climate facing the GOP as well as Democratic Party enthusiasm, Ayotte won re-election to a second two-year term as the Northern New England swing state’s governor. Ayotte, who also served two decades ago as state attorney general, was first elected governor in 2024, succeeding fellow Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. New Hampshire and neighboring Vermont are the only states in the nation that elect their governors every two years. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Ayotte started the cycle as the favorite due in part to political history. Only twice in the past century — and not since 2004 — have first-term New Hampshire governors been ousted. The governor highlighted affordable housing as her state’s most pressing economic challenge, and she pointed to new laws on accessory dwelling units and permitting to help ease the crisis. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Warmington, a healthcare attorney and former member of New Hampshire’s five-member elected executive council, which approves state contracts and the governor’s judicial and executive branch nominations, highlighted the cost of living as she ran for governor. She called for a suspension of the state’s gas tax. The Democratic nominee’s past work as a lobbyist for drugmaker Purdue Pharma was a major line of attack by Ayotte, and the governor and her campaign labeled Warmington an “opioid lobbyist.” “Kelly Ayotte is spending millions of dollars attacking me for work I did decades ago and regret. That’s so you won’t look at what Kelly’s doing right now as governor,” Warmington said in response. And she blamed the governor for “doubling prescription drug costs, electric rates up 15%, record high housing costs.”
Democrat Gina Hinojosa stuns Abbott, makes history as first Latina Texas governor
The Fox News Decision Desk projects that Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa has defeated three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the showdown for governor. With her shocking upset victory, Hinojosa has brought the Democrats’ 36-year losing streak in Texas gubernatorial elections to an end. “Everything is bigger in Texas including the shock of this win,” Hinojosa said to a crowd of supporters. “We shocked the world tonight. With a Texas chip on our shoulder we show that anything is possible.” Hinojosa also made history as the first Latina governor of the nation’s second most populous state. DEMOCRACY 2026: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Abbott, a conservative governor and major ally of President Donald Trump, meanwhile, fell short in his history-making bid to become the first person to win four elections as Texas governor. Abbott shared with his audience of supporters that he conceded to Hinojosa, congratulating her for winning the election. “It has been the joy of my life to be the governor of the state of Texas,” Abbott said. Hinojosa, a former president of the Austin public school system and a civil rights lawyer, focused her campaign on public education funding, teacher pay, opposing school vouchers, data center moratoriums, and pocketbook relief. She framed her bid as a fight “against the billionaires and the corporations,” who she accused of driving up prices, closing neighborhood schools and “cheating Texans out of basic healthcare.” Abbott, during his tenure as Texas governor, has pushed a strict conservative platform, including tighter border security, strict abortion restrictions, school choice vouchers, expanded gun rights, and lower business regulations. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER But the governor primarily ran for re-election on economic issues with his “Keep Texas Affordable” agenda. He launched his re-election campaign with a promise to slash rising property taxes in Texas in the next legislative session. Later in the campaign he unveiled a plan which he said would also lower the cost of healthcare, housing, home and auto insurance, electricity, and even higher education. Abbott also framed his candidacy as a fight against the rising influence of socialism in American politics And while the governor is close to Trump, he walked a fine line by defying the president when it came to his stance on artificial intelligence data center expansion. But Hinojosa made linking Abbott to Trump by characterizing both men as participants in institutional corruption and anti-democratic “power grabs” a centerpiece of her gubernatorial campaign.
Trump’s gamble on Ken Paxton backfires as Democrat pulls off historic Texas Senate upset
Democrats just made history in Texas. President Donald Trump’s gamble on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a strong ally of the president’s, backfired on him after Texas state Rep. James Talarico pulled off an upset to score Democrats their first Senate seat from the Lone Star State in nearly four decades. The Fox News Decision Desk called the Texas Senate race in Talarico’s favor shortly after 11 p.m. ET Tuesday night. The live music rarely stopped Tuesday at Talarico’s election night party, except for when it was confirmed that the insurgent Democrat had toppled Paxton. News of his victory replaced the thundering music with an eruption of cheers, chants of USA and a wave of joy that reverberated through the event space. Even Talarico’s most staunch, four-legged supporter, Kodak, was roused from a nap. His owner told Fox News Digital that the canine fan had voted for Talarico earlier that day. TRUMP BACKS PAXTON IN TEXAS REPUBLICAN SENATE SHOWDOWN WITH CORNYN It comes after Trump opted to back Paxton over longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, earlier this year, who Republicans in Washington, D.C., believed would be a better candidate during a midterm cycle in which political headwinds, spurred by economic stress and war, pushed back against the party in power. Cornyn posted on X when Talarico won, “The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate. I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the U.S. Senate.” Trump made near-weekly visits to the Lone Star State, and his deep-pocketed war chest, MAGA Inc., along with national Republicans, dumped hundreds of millions of dollars to support Paxton’s struggling campaign. But it was not enough to overcome the insurgent Talarico, who styled himself a moderate dedicated to representing Texans and not Democratic interests, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., in Washington. It was a bitter campaign from start to finish, with Talarico painting Paxton as unfit to serve following several allegations of corruption, including his impeachment for alleged corruption by the Texas House. He was later acquitted by the Texas Senate. REPUBLICAN CAVALRY ARRIVES FOR KEN PAXTON AS BIG-BUCKS TEXAS OFFENSIVE OPENS CASH FLOODGATES “This Senate seat has been held by some of the finest Texans,” Talarico said. “Ken Paxton should be nowhere near Lyndon Johnson’s Senate seat. Ken Paxton should be nowhere near Sam Houston’s Senate seat.” Paxton, Trump and national Republicans painted Talarico as a “communist” and a vegan in BBQ-loving Texas and zeroed in on his support for the transgender community while in the Texas Legislature, most notably his floor speech on God being “nonbinary.” “I’m not asking you to imagine what I do as your U.S. senator,” Paxton told voters at a rally ahead of Election Day. “I’m asking you to look at my record and then compare it to another guy, James Talarico, the most radical Democrat ever to run statewide, bar none. “And no matter how many commercials he runs lying about his record, James Talarico is a, simply put, a Democratic Socialist just like AOC. And just like the New York mayor, Mamdani.” JAMES TALARICO BLAMES RISE IN GOP ‘EXTREMISM’ FOR PROMPTING HIS ‘GOD IS NONBINARY,’ SIX SEXES REMARKS Talarico even scored a nickname from Trump. “The name happens to be ‘Talafreako’ because he is one of the worst candidates I have ever seen,” Trump said ahead of the GOP’s midterm convention largely meant to bolster Paxton’s struggling campaign. Nonetheless, there was a schism within the GOP caused by Trump picking Paxton over Cornyn, and the longtime lawmaker made it clear that he would not be in Paxton’s corner campaigning for him after losing a bloody and bitter primary fight earlier this year. “I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton to risk everything we’ve worked so hard to build over these many years,” Cornyn said after losing his primary earlier this year. “Judgment Day is coming for Ken Paxton.” The news comes on a brutal midterm election night for Republicans at both the state and federal levels. At the time of the race call, Democrats were already projected to win control of the House majority. And the Fox News Decision Desk projected Texas Gov. Greg Abbott losing to his Democrat challenger, Gina Hinojosa, at the same time.
California voters decide who will succeed Newsom in consequential governor’s race
The Fox News Decision Desk projects former Biden Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra will defeat Republican Steve Hilton in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, keeping California’s governorship in Democratic hands. Becerra has spent more than three decades in public office, beginning with his election to the California State Assembly in 1990 before serving over two decades in Congress. He left the House in 2017 after then-Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him California attorney general, won a full term in the post the following year and later served as President Joe Biden’s HHS secretary from 2021 to 2025. Becerra and Hilton emerged from California’s crowded nonpartisan top-two primary in June, when Becerra finished first with roughly 28% of the vote and Hilton advanced in second with about 25%. More than 9.4 million Californians cast ballots in the primary, according to certified results from the California secretary of state’s office. CALIFORNIA FACES UNLIKELY TAX REVOLT AMID BILLIONS IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE COSTS Becerra’s victory extends Democrats’ long-running dominance of statewide politics in California, where registered Democrats substantially outnumber Republicans. A Republican has not won a California gubernatorial election since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s re-election in 2006 and has not occupied the governor’s mansion since he left office in January 2011. Hilton, a former Fox News host and onetime policy advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron, campaigned as a change candidate, arguing that years of Democratic control in Sacramento had contributed to California’s high cost of living, homelessness and other problems. He proposed cutting taxes and state spending, rolling back regulations and climate mandates and expanding energy production to lower housing, electricity and gasoline costs. Hilton also received President Donald Trump’s endorsement but said during the general election that he would work with the administration while disagreeing with the president when necessary. Becerra will inherit a state confronting persistent challenges over housing and energy costs, homelessness and looming budget deficits. NEWSOM SPARS WITH TRUMP-APPOINTED PROSECUTOR OVER 20,000 SUSPECTED NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS Affordability was also a central theme of Becerra’s campaign, with the Democrat arguing that rising costs threatened what he called the “California Dream.” But he offered voters a markedly different prescription from Hilton, proposing a larger role for state programs and enforcement rather than broad cuts to taxes, spending and regulation. Becerra proposed accelerating housing construction, expanding childcare assistance and early education, strengthening Medi-Cal and cracking down on landlords he accused of price gouging. He also pointed to his record as HHS secretary, including efforts to lower prescription drug costs and expand access to health coverage. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The candidates offered sharply different approaches to the Trump administration as well. Becerra campaigned on protecting California policies and programs from federal challenges, drawing on his record of repeatedly taking the first Trump administration to court during his tenure as state attorney general. Becerra also reaffirmed during the campaign his support for protecting access to transgender medical procedures, including for transgender youth. He previously championed the issue as HHS secretary, when he defended leaving treatment decisions involving transgender minors to families and medical providers rather than politicians. Hilton previously told Fox News Digital that Californians are growing fed up with years of Democratic leadership, pointing to homelessness, high taxes and the soaring cost of living as reasons voters may be ready for a change. “I know everyone says, ‘Well, it’s California, Republicans can’t win.’ I don’t know. I think people are sick of all this,” Hilton said. “And they’re sick of Becerra just taking them for granted, and I think we can win this election.” Newsom was barred from seeking a third consecutive term after winning the governorship in 2018 and re-election in 2022. His departure comes amid continued speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid. Becerra will be sworn in as California’s 41st governor in January 2027.
Trump country sees 20-year GOP grip on governor’s mansion shattered
The Fox News Decision Desk predicts Democrat Amy Acton will defeat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s closely watched gubernatorial race, delivering a major upset in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor in 20 years. Acton successfully ran a campaign appealing to voters across the aisle by presenting herself as the candidate who could address issues of affordability and public education. On the campaign trail, she painted Ramaswamy as out-of-touch, wealthy and pushing policies that benefited people like himself. During the election’s closing weeks, Ramaswamy lost droves of support and faced bipartisan backlash over a campaign ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother calling her daughter a liar who could not lead Ohio until she held herself accountable. The ad did not mention that Acton had been estranged from her mother since childhood or that her mother lost custody after Acton’s stepfather was indicted on a charge of raping Acton when she was 12. RAMASWAMY OUTLINES KEY CONTRASTS WITH DEM OPPONENT LESS THAN 100 DAYS OUT FROM KEY GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION Still, Ramaswamy defended the ad amid the backlash, even as current Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called it “deeply troubling” and urged his campaign to take it down. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy’s decision to air it. The ad ultimately went off the air days before Election Day, with Ramaswamy’s campaign saying its planned run had ended. Though Ramaswamy’s controversies took center stage in the national press, Acton’s record was not unblemished. Ramaswamy and his Republican allies honed in on Acton’s record as director of the Ohio Department of Health, where she led the state’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Conservatives pinned the state’s school and business closures, as well as a controversial decision to delay primary voting by closing polling stations, on Acton. This line of attack was complicated by DeWine. As criticism was being leveled against Acton, DeWine defended her by stating that “the buck stops with the governor,” noting he had instructed her to go through with the voting delay. DeWine further complicated matters for the Ramaswamy campaign in April when he questioned whether the state could afford further tax cuts, casting doubt on a key plank of the Republican’s campaign pitch. The governor also criticized Ramaswamy’s proposal to close or consolidate Ohio’s public universities, while Democrats framed the plans as a way to pay for his proposed tax cuts by reducing access to education. DeWine did, however, officially endorse Ramaswamy over Acton. DAVID MARCUS: IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ONLY TRUMP CAN MEND MAGA-CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIFT Ramaswamy also faced criticism from both the left and right over awkward moments on the campaign trail, including a batting cage video that drew ridicule on social media. A controversial social media post Ramaswamy made on Christmas Day 2024, where he lambasted American culture as having “venerated mediocrity over excellence” while discussing foreign-born engineers, angered those on the right, including fellow Indian American Nikki Haley. Many right-wing commentators on X and other platforms still point to that post as a reason to distrust Ramaswamy. DAVID MARCUS: IN DAYTON, OHIO, BOTH PARTIES FACE BITTER POLITICAL DESPONDENCY Republicans sought throughout the campaign to tie Acton to unpopular pandemic-era restrictions she helped implement as Ohio’s health director, while Acton sought to carve out a more moderate image on some issues. She broke with many in her party, for example, by opposing policies that allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. Ramaswamy entered the race with deep ties to Trump’s political movement. The former presidential candidate was initially tapped to help lead the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk before leaving the effort as Trump took office to pursue his gubernatorial bid. He was also a prominent Trump surrogate after ending his own 2024 presidential campaign. The last time Ohio elected a Democratic governor was in 2006, when Ted Strickland defeated Republican Ken Blackwell. Ramaswamy ran with no serious primary rivals and a significant financial advantage over Acton.