Democrat Amy Acton has beaten Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the race for Ohio governor, NBC News projects. The Fox News Decision Desk and CBS News made the same call. The results are unofficial.

Acton, 60, is the first woman elected governor of Ohio, NBC reports. Nancy Hollister served as governor for 11 days in 1999, but she was not elected.

Acton is also the first Democrat to win the job since Ted Strickland in 2006, NBC says. Fox calls the result a major upset in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor in 20 years.

Trump won Ohio by 11 points in 2024, CBS reports. Republican Governor Mike DeWine could not run again because of term limits.

Acton led the state health department in the early days of the Covid pandemic, under DeWine. Republicans attacked her over school and business closures, Fox reports. DeWine later said the buck stopped with him.

The race turned harsh in its last weeks. Ramaswamy's campaign aired a $4 million ad in which Acton's estranged mother called her a liar, NBC and CBS report. DeWine and other Republicans condemned the ad. Fox says it went off the air days before the vote.

In her victory speech in Columbus, Acton said Ohio had chosen “unity and decency over division and hate,” NBC reports. “I will be a governor for all Ohioans,” she said.

Ramaswamy, 41, spoke to his own supporters in Columbus. “It was a tough race,” he said, according to NBC. He added that he hoped Acton could “bring Ohio together.”

Ramaswamy had far outspent Acton, CBS reports. He had the support of Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

What we know: NBC News, Fox News and CBS News project that Acton has won, based on unofficial results.
What we don't: The final vote totals, and whether Ramaswamy has formally conceded. None of the three reports uses that word.