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A new Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll shows Democrat Amy Acton with 48% support in Ohio’s governor’s race, compared with 45% for Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Libertarian candidate Don Kissick received 4%, while another 3% selected someone else. The September survey also found higher self-reported motivation among Democratic respondents than Republican respondents and showed a change from BGSU’s April poll, when Ramaswamy led Acton 48% to 47%.
A new poll shows Democrat Amy Acton with 48% support in Ohio’s governor’s race, compared with 45% for Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.
The poll, which is from Bowling Green State University/YouGov, showed that Acton had a 3-percentage-point advantage over Ramaswamy among likely Ohio voters, while 7% said they would support another candidate.
The poll surveyed 1,000 likely Ohio voters from Sept. 1-10. The survey has a margin of error of about four percentage points.
BGSU’s Democracy and Public Policy Network conducts the statewide polling in partnership with YouGov.
Acton leads the poll
The September survey marks a change from an earlier BGSU/YouGov poll conducted in April.
That April survey showed Ramaswamy with 48% support and Acton with 47%.
Meanwhile, the latest survey instead has Acton at 48% and Ramaswamy at 45%.
The 3-point difference is smaller than the poll’s roughly 4-point margin of error, meaning the results do not establish a statistically certain difference between the candidates.
Ohio governor race heads toward November
The election is for the governor’s seat currently held by Republican Mike DeWine, who is barred from seeking another term because of Ohio’s term limits.
Acton previously served as director of the Ohio Department of Health. Ramaswamy is a businessman and former Republican presidential candidate.
The two candidates have continued campaigning ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
The latest BGSU/YouGov poll also asked voters who they expected to win the governor’s race. In that question, 62% named Ramaswamy and 36% named Acton, according to published results.
That question measures voters’ expectations rather than their stated voting preference.
Poll provides snapshot of Ohio voters
The BGSU Poll describes its surveys as a way to measure Ohio residents’ views on political candidates and issues.
The university’s Democracy and Public Policy Network works with YouGov to obtain representative samples based on demographic information.
The September survey also included questions about the U.S. Senate race, voter identification and voters’ most important political concerns.
The governor’s race remains one of several closely watched statewide contests on Ohio’s November ballot.
Poll results represent voter preferences at the time respondents were surveyed and can change before Election Day.
The survey is a snapshot of voter preferences among the people interviewed during the polling period. It is not an election result, and the three-point difference between Acton and Ramaswamy is within the poll’s reported margin of error.
Ohio governor race heads toward November
The election is for the governor’s seat currently held by Republican Mike DeWine, who is term-limited and cannot seek another term.
Acton previously served as director of the Ohio Department of Health. Ramaswamy, on the other hand, is a businessman and former Republican presidential candidate.
The candidates are campaigning ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
FAQs
Does the poll determine who will win the governor’s race?
No. A poll measures responses from a surveyed group at a particular time. The latest three-point difference is also within the survey’s roughly four-point margin of error.
No. A poll measures responses from a surveyed group at a particular time. The latest three-point difference is also within the survey’s roughly four-point margin of error.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is serving his second consecutive term and is barred by Ohio’s term limits from seeking another term. The 2026 election will determine his successor.
What does voter motivation mean in the poll?
Voter motivation refers to how respondents described their enthusiasm or motivation to participate in the election compared with a typical election. The survey found different self-reported motivation levels among Democratic and Republican respondents.
Does voter motivation measure actual turnout?
No. The figures reflect what respondents reported about their own motivation. They do not measure how many people ultimately cast ballots.
