Washington: Indian-American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, whose family traces its roots to Kerala, conceded Ohio’s gubernatorial election to Democrat Amy Acton, ending a high-profile campaign strongly backed by President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
The defeat represented a major electoral setback for Republicans in a state Trump won comfortably in 2024.
Acton, a 60-year-old physician and former Ohio health director, on Tuesday night (local time) became the first woman elected governor of Ohio and the first Democrat to win the office since 2006.
Late election-night returns showed Acton receiving approximately 51 per cent of the vote against Ramaswamy’s 46 per cent, with Libertarian Don Kissick securing about three per cent.
The result represented a swing of roughly 16 percentage points towards Democrats compared with Trump’s 11-point victory margin in Ohio in the 2024 presidential election.
Speaking at his election-night gathering in Ohio, Ramaswamy acknowledged defeat and said he had contacted Acton to congratulate her.
In his remarks, Ramaswamy thanked supporters and spoke about continuing to serve Ohio outside public life.
He also thanked his parents, wife Apoorva, their three children and his running mate, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley.
Ramaswamy, 41, had sought to become Ohio’s first Indian-American Governor after emerging as a prominent national Republican figure through his unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign.
His defeat carried significance beyond Ohio because Trump and Vance had invested considerable political capital in his candidacy.
Addressing a Republican rally in Chillicothe on October 28, Trump had declared: “Six days from now, the people of Ohio are going to elect Vivek Ramaswamy as your Governor.”
Trump subsequently held another campaign event by telephone on October 31, urging Republican voters to turn out for Ramaswamy and other party candidates.
Vance, a former Ohio senator, returned to his home state on November 2 for an election-eve rally in Swanton.
“So I know that we are going to elect Vivek Ramaswamy and Jon Husted,” Vance told supporters.
The results went against both predictions. Democrat Sherrod Brown also defeated Republican Senator Jon Husted, handing the party another significant Ohio loss.
Ramaswamy’s campaign had become increasingly bitter in its closing weeks after an advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother accused the Democrat of dishonesty.
The advertisement drew criticism from Democrats and Republicans, including outgoing Governor Mike DeWine, while Trump defended Ramaswamy’s decision to use it.
Ramaswamy campaigned on lowering taxes, deregulation and reducing government expenditure. Acton emphasised affordability, healthcare, education and relief for working families.
The Republican candidate also invested heavily in the race, lending more than $36 million of his own money to his campaign by late September.
Born in Cincinnati in 1985, Ramaswamy is the son of Indian immigrants with ancestral roots in Vadakkencherry in Kerala’s Palakkad district.
His father, V.G. Ramaswamy, studied in Kerala before moving to the United States, where he worked as an engineer.
His mother, Geetha Ramaswamy, is a psychiatrist. Ramaswamy graduated from Harvard University and Yale Law School and founded the biotechnology company Roivant Sciences in 2014.
(IANS)
