Vivek Ramaswamy trails Amy Acton in two Ohio polls as attack ad backfires
Synopsis
Two new polls — including a private Republican internal survey — show Vivek Ramaswamy trailing Amy Acton in Ohio's governor's race, and the data suggests his $4 million attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother has actively driven voters toward his opponent. With ballots cast on 3 November, the race that could produce Ohio's first Indian-American governor is slipping away from Ramaswamy by his own campaign's hand.
Key Takeaways
Vivek Ramaswamy trails Amy Acton 44% to 48% in the Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network Ohio poll released 30 October .
A private Republican internal poll of 800 voters (conducted 23–26 October ) showed a wider gap: Acton 50%, Ramaswamy 42% .
72% of likely voters saw Ramaswamy's attack ad; fewer than 1% said it moved them toward him, while 2% said it pushed them away.
By a 2-to-1 ratio, voters familiar with the ad said it made them more likely to vote for Acton , according to the internal memo.
The campaign reportedly committed $4 million to air the ad statewide.
Ohio voters head to the polls on 3 November ; Ramaswamy would be the state's first Indian-American governor if elected.
Indian-American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is trailing Democrat Amy Acton in two separate polls of Ohio's gubernatorial race, with both surveys indicating that his campaign's controversial advertisement featuring Acton's estranged mother has failed to shift voter support in his favour — and may have actively hurt him.
What the Polls Show
A Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network Ohio poll released on Wednesday, 30 October placed Acton at 48% and Ramaswamy at 44%, with Libertarian Don Kissick at 4% and 3% of respondents undecided. The same poll conducted in September had shown Acton ahead by a wider 50% to 41% margin, suggesting the race has tightened but the deficit for Ramaswamy persists.
A second internal poll, commissioned by an unnamed Republican group and obtained by Axios, showed a starker picture. The survey of 800 likely voters, conducted 23–26 October, had Acton at 50% and Ramaswamy at 42% — a widening from a two-point Acton lead of 47% to 45% earlier in the month. The margin of error was 3.46 percentage points.
The Ad and Its Impact
The Suffolk poll found that 72% of likely voters had seen or heard about the advertisement featuring Acton's estranged mother, but fewer than 1% said it shifted them from Acton to Ramaswamy. More damaging: 2% of those aware of the ad said they had previously backed Ramaswamy but now support Acton.
Among voters familiar with the ad, 50% said Ramaswamy had run the more negative campaign, compared with just 15% who said the same of Acton. Among those who had specifically seen the ad, that gap widened to 59% versus 13%. The internal Republican poll's attached memo, as reported by Axios, noted that by a 2-to-1 ratio, those familiar with the ad said it made them more likely to vote for Acton. 86% of respondents in that survey had seen, read or heard about it.
According to Axios, the campaign had committed $4 million to air the ad statewide. 'The candidate is the one pushing for it,' a source close to the campaign reportedly told Axios. A Ramaswamy campaign representative declined to comment to Axios.
Ramaswamy's Counter-Moves
Ramaswamy has defended the ad, arguing that Acton has misrepresented her past. On the campaign trail, he has pivoted to economic issues. On Thursday, he announced what he described as a Day 1 executive order targeting property taxes. 'This morning I announced my Day 1 Executive Order to investigate localities where property taxes have doubled since the pandemic, to give the public transparency that they deserve,' he posted on X.
He has also attacked Acton as 'the candidate who bans recordings at her events and refuses to debate.' In the bellwether county of Portage, which Suffolk tracks closely, the two candidates were tied at 47% each — a sign the contest remains competitive.
Polling Average and What's at Stake
The FiftyPlusOne polling average on Thursday had Acton at 48.2% and Ramaswamy at 45.2%. Voters go to the polls on 3 November. Ramaswamy, the son of immigrants from Kerala, would become Ohio's first Indian-American governor if elected. The outcome is being closely watched as a barometer of how attack-style campaigning plays in a post-Trump Midwest political environment.
Point of View
By its own internal polling, is handing votes to the opponent — a rare case of a self-inflicted wound that the data makes explicit rather than merely implies. The Suffolk numbers are especially telling: among voters who saw the ad, nearly four times as many branded Ramaswamy the more negative campaigner than Acton. What this reveals is a deeper strategic miscalculation — the assumption that culture-war-style personal attacks that worked in primary cycles will translate into a general electorate in a purple Midwestern state. Ramaswamy's late pivot to property taxes suggests the campaign knows it, but whether a policy announcement in the final days can override a $4 million negative-image spend is the real question heading into 3 November.
NationPress
30 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the latest Ohio governor polls show for Vivek Ramaswamy?
As of 30 October, two new polls show Ramaswamy trailing Democrat Amy Acton. The Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network poll has Acton at 48% and Ramaswamy at 44%, while a private Republican internal poll puts the gap wider at 50% to 42% in Acton's favour.
Why is Ramaswamy's attack ad being seen as a liability?
The ad, which features Acton's estranged mother, has been seen or heard by 72% of likely voters, but fewer than 1% said it swayed them toward Ramaswamy. The internal Republican poll found that by a 2-to-1 ratio, those aware of it said it made them more likely to vote for Acton instead.
When is the Ohio gubernatorial election?
Ohio voters go to the polls on 3 November 2026. If elected, Vivek Ramaswamy would become Ohio's first Indian-American governor.
What is Ramaswamy's response to the poll numbers?
Ramaswamy has defended the ad, arguing that Acton misrepresented her own past. He has also shifted focus to economic issues, announcing a Day 1 executive order to investigate localities where property taxes have doubled since the pandemic.
Who is Vivek Ramaswamy and why is the Ohio race significant?
Vivek Ramaswamy is an Indian-American Republican candidate for Ohio governor, and the son of immigrants from Kerala. A victory would make him the first Indian-American to serve as Ohio's governor, making the race a landmark contest closely watched at the national level.
