Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Ohio · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the Ohio governor and lieutenant governor race?
Amy Acton has the strongest record in the Ohio governor and lieutenant governor race. Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy each score 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026; Amy Acton ranks first on the tiebreakers (character score, then total points earned). Amy Acton's highest marks are temperament and judgment and relevant experience. Vivek Ramaswamy's highest marks are command of the job and communication. Timothy Grady (0 of 15 criteria), Heather Hill (0 of 15 criteria), Don Kissick (3 of 15 criteria), Renea Turner (0 of 15 criteria) and Ron Ula (0 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Strongest record
Amy Acton
Running mate: David Pepper
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- 50
Write-in
Timothy Grady
Running mate: Andrea Neutzling
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Write-in
Heather Hill
Running mate: Patrick Manley
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Libertarian
Don Kissick
Running mate: James L. Mills
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 3 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Vivek Ramaswamy
Running mate: Robert A. McColley
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- 50
Write-in
Renea Turner
Running mate: Jalen Turner
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Write-in
Ron Ula
Running mate: Michael C. Lehnerd
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Amy Acton
- On the record2026-09-02
Declined debate invitations from CNN and WLWT for the 2026 governor's race; her campaign cited what it called inaccurate attack ads.
Sources: Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 2, 2026, Dayton Daily News, Sept. 2026
- On the record2020-03-16
As state health director, ordered polling places closed the day before Ohio's March 17, 2020 primary, citing COVID-19; voting was completed by absentee ballot by April 28, 2020.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Amy Acton, Associated Press, May 2, 2026
- On the record2020-05-20
A Lake County judge granted 35 gyms a preliminary injunction barring penalties under her COVID-19 gym order; she reopened gyms by order two days later and the state's appeal was dismissed as moot.
Source: News-Herald, July 2020
- Credit2021
Received a Profile in COVID Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for her work as Ohio's state health director.
Sources: JFK Library, Profiles in COVID Courage honorees, Ballotpedia, Amy Acton
- Credit2020-09-24
Received the Ohio State University Alumni Association's Alumni Medalist Award, which the association calls its highest honor, in September 2020.
Source: WSYX ABC 6, Sept. 25, 2020
Timothy Grady
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Heather Hill
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Don Kissick
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Vivek Ramaswamy
- Unresolved2026-08-25
A former Strive Asset Management executive sued him, Strive and co-founder Anson Frericks in 2023 alleging whistleblower retaliation; on Aug. 25, 2026 a federal judge let the whistleblower claims, including one against him personally, proceed.
Where it stands: Pending in federal court in New Jersey; the court ruled only that the complaint states a claim, not that it is true; three other counts were dismissed without prejudice; the defendants deny the allegations.
Sources: Rosely v. Strive Asset Management, No. 2:23-cv-20772 (D.N.J.), docket, Rosely v. Strive Asset Management, Opinion, Aug. 25, 2026 (D.N.J.)
- On the record2026-09-02
Accepted CNN and WLWT invitations to debate in the 2026 governor's race; his opponent declined.
Source: Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 2, 2026
- On the record2026-09
A Democratic state senator filed a complaint in July 2026 over his campaign reporting about $509,000 in credit card payments as one expenditure; the Secretary of State's Election Integrity Unit found no violation.
Sources: Ohio Capital Journal via News From The States, Oct. 7, 2026, Washington Examiner, July 2026
- On the record2025-09-19
Endorsed by the Ohio Conference of Teamsters, which had backed Democrat Tim Ryan for Senate.
Source: Semafor, Sept. 19, 2025
- On the record2023
PolitiFact rated six of his 2023 presidential campaign statements False or Pants on Fire, including that Jan. 6 looked like an inside job and that 95% of over-the-counter drugs come from China.
Sources: PolitiFact, statements rated Pants on Fire, PolitiFact, statements rated False, PolitiFact, Vivek Ramaswamy scorecard
- On the record2017-09
Axovant Sciences, a Roivant subsidiary he founded, raised $360 million to develop the Alzheimer's drug intepirdine, which failed its clinical trial in 2017.
Source: Ballotpedia, Vivek Ramaswamy
Renea Turner
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Ron Ula
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Amy Acton. No public record found.
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Has held no sworn office and no ethics or court finding names him. PolitiFact has rated six of his 2023 campaign statements False or Pants on Fire (see the record); E15 counts only statements documented by two established outlets.
Sources: PolitiFact, Vivek Ramaswamy scorecard, PolitiFact, statements rated Pants on Fire, PolitiFact, statements rated False
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Amy Acton. No public record found.
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. No public record found.
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Amy Acton. Declined CNN and WLWT debate invitations in September 2026 after her opponent accepted them; through Oct. 9, 2026 no general election debate or joint forum she accepted was reported.
Sources: Dayton Daily News, Sept. 2026, News 5 Cleveland (WEWS), Sept. 2026, Signal Ohio, Sept. 3, 2026, Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 2, 2026
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Accepted September 2026 general election debate invitations from CNN and WLWT and held a public town hall on crime in Cincinnati in August 2025.
Sources: Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 2, 2026, Cincinnati Enquirer, Aug. 4, 2025
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Amy Acton. Led Ohio's early COVID-19 response as state health director; the JFK Library Foundation gave her a Profile in COVID Courage Award, and Axios reported wide recognition for her calm explanations.
Sources: JFK Library, Profiles in COVID Courage honorees, Axios Columbus, Jan. 7, 2025
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Founded and ran Roivant Sciences as chief executive from 2014 to 2021 and co-founded Strive Asset Management; no formal conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Vivek Ramaswamy
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Amy Acton. Served as appointed state health director from 2019 to 2020. A May 2020 county court preliminary injunction against penalties under her gym order was later dismissed as moot; no final finding of misuse of office.
Sources: WOSU (Ohio Public Radio), Feb. 27, 2019, News-Herald, July 2020
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. Served six years in the U.S. Navy, with deployments during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. No official finding of misconduct found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Don Kissick
Vivek Ramaswamy. No public record found.
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Amy Acton. Director of the Ohio Department of Health in 2019 and 2020, a cabinet post; earlier a physician, Ohio State public health faculty member and Columbus Foundation grants officer.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Amy Acton, WOSU (Ohio Public Radio), Feb. 27, 2019
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Founded Roivant Sciences in 2014 and was its chief executive until 2021, after seven years at a hedge fund; co-founded Strive Asset Management in 2022. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Vivek Ramaswamy
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Amy Acton. Publishes specific plans, including a Working Families Tax Cut with an earned income credit and a $1,000 child tax credit for children up to age 6 for families earning up to $85,000.
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. His campaign site lists positions on corruption and affordability, including a five-year ban on legislators becoming lobbyists, mostly in general terms.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Publishes a plan with specific proposals within a governor's reach, including immediate property tax cuts and a phase-out of the state income tax.
Source: Campaign site, The Plan
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Amy Acton. Publishes detailed issue pages; has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and declined general election debates.
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. Publishes issue positions on his campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Publishes a plan page, holds public town halls and accepted two televised debates. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, The Plan, Cincinnati Enquirer, Aug. 4, 2025, Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 2, 2026, Ballotpedia, Vivek Ramaswamy
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Amy Acton. Born and raised in Youngstown and has lived in the Columbus area for years, including during her time as health director.
Source: Wikipedia, Amy Acton
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Born and raised in Cincinnati, where he graduated from St. Xavier High School; now lives with his family in greater Columbus.
Sources: Associated Press, Feb. 24, 2025, Campaign site, Meet Vivek
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Amy Acton. Ran the Ohio Department of Health as director and later served as president and chief executive of the RAPID 5 parks nonprofit; no official finding about her campaign found.
Sources: WOSU (Ohio Public Radio), Feb. 27, 2019, Wikipedia, Amy Acton
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Founded Roivant Sciences and led it as chief executive from 2014 to January 2021. No official finding about his campaign found; state campaign finance filings could not be opened.
Source: Ballotpedia, Vivek Ramaswamy
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Amy Acton. No public record found.
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. No public record found.
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Amy Acton. No public record found.
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. No public record found.
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Amy Acton. No public record found.
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. No public record found.
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Amy Acton. Served in the cabinet of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who appointed her in 2019.
Source: Ballotpedia, Amy Acton
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Endorsed in September 2025 by the Ohio Conference of Teamsters, which had backed Democrat Tim Ryan for Senate in 2022.
Source: Semafor, Sept. 19, 2025
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Amy Acton. No public record found.
Timothy Grady. No public record found.
Heather Hill. No public record found.
Don Kissick. No public record found.
Vivek Ramaswamy. No public record found.
Renea Turner. No public record found.
Ron Ula. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Ohio governor and lieutenant governor race?
Amy Acton has the strongest record in the Ohio governor and lieutenant governor race. Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy each score 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026; Amy Acton ranks first on the tiebreakers (character score, then total points earned). Amy Acton's highest marks are temperament and judgment and relevant experience. Vivek Ramaswamy's highest marks are command of the job and communication. Timothy Grady (0 of 15 criteria), Heather Hill (0 of 15 criteria), Don Kissick (3 of 15 criteria), Renea Turner (0 of 15 criteria) and Ron Ula (0 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Ohio governor and lieutenant governor race in 2026?
Amy Acton (Democratic), Timothy Grady (Write-in), Heather Hill (Write-in), Don Kissick (Libertarian), Vivek Ramaswamy (Republican), Renea Turner (Write-in), Ron Ula (Write-in). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Amy Acton a good candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor?
Amy Acton scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Timothy Grady a good candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor?
Timothy Grady has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Heather Hill a good candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor?
Heather Hill has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Don Kissick a good candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor?
Don Kissick has public evidence on 3 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Vivek Ramaswamy a good candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor?
Vivek Ramaswamy scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Renea Turner a good candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor?
Renea Turner has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Ron Ula a good candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor?
Ron Ula has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Ohio race scored, and the Ohio 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.