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Opinion | By Marcell Strbich
Lt. Col., USAF (Ret.) | Former Candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. This piece discusses key issues and developments in Ohio’s governor race.
Throughout Vivek Ramaswamy’s historic two-year campaign for governor, one question has hung over Ohio’s political landscape: Will our system of musical-chair, status-quo politics keep rewarding career politicians, or will we finally get bold, results-driven leadership?
As a former political outsider who campaigned for Ohio Secretary of State for a year after my military service, I have come to know Vivek alongside other grassroots, issue-based leaders. He has accepted the challenge to lead Ohio boldly and unapologetically. These are my personal observations of a candidate I know well.
Vivek has engaged consistently with me and other issue advocates on property taxes, data centers, election integrity, sportsmen and hunters’ rights, medical freedom, and anti-fraud measures. He has repeatedly affirmed that the grassroots have a real seat at the table. It has not been empty rhetoric.
He acted on advocates’ advice to advance a voter ID constitutional amendment earlier this year. Then moved forward with a Data Center Town Hall and developed one of the nation’s strongest policy pledges, putting impacted communities first and directly incorporating input from other issue advocates and me. He declared property tax relief his top priority and committed to fully eliminating property taxes if Ohioans vote to do so through a constitutional amendment.
Unlike Amy Acton, who, in my experience, has not engaged with citizen-led movement leaders seeking to speak with her, Vivek has communicated regularly with organization leaders and understands their concerns better than any other candidate.
He has taken regular advice and worked to orchestrate a 90-day suspension of Ohio’s motor fuel excise tax. He proposed the plan and pressed the legislature to return from its summer recess to deliver relief at the pump for all Ohioans.
I have had countless conversations on these and other issues that have already produced tangible results for Ohioans’ cost of living and liberty before he has even taken office. From my standpoint, Vivek’s words and actions align. He is informed by grassroots perspectives and consistently turns them into action.
That is a proven track record worth supporting. Grassroots conservatives have never had a governor who actually listened to and applied our recommendations.
Vivek’s actions are already geared toward earning our votes. Abstaining or voting against him would erase the progress described here and the real opportunity to make Republican governance responsive to the people. For those focused on results rather than settling scores, Vivek is demonstrating day by day that he will not only be a competent governor; he will be accountable and responsive to the people of Ohio.
For Ohioans, this November 3 election is a generational opportunity to set a trajectory of economic growth, shrink the burden of government on our lives, and transform Ohio into a model of liberty and the foundation of freedom in the Midwest. Vivek is putting his successful business career aside to answer the call to serve Ohio. We should respond and give him the opportunity to transform our state government to work for us.
Marcell Strbich is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and former Republican candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. The views expressed in this opinion column are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Cincinnati Exchange.
Before You Vote: Where the Ohio Governor’s Race Stands
The following section comes from The Cincinnati Exchange, not from the column’s author.
Most October polls show Democrat Amy Acton ahead of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Several of those leads fall within the polls’ margins of error. RealClearPolitics’ average had Acton up 4.4 points as of Oct. 27, according to Newsweek. The Silver Bulletin average had her up 4.7.
Recent Ohio Polls
| Pollster | Field dates | Sample | Acton (D) | Ramaswamy (R) | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActiVote | Released Oct. 31 | 400 likely voters | 50.8% | 49.2% | Acton +1.6 |
| Suffolk/USA Today | Oct. 21-26 | 500 likely voters | 48% | 44% | Acton +4 |
| Fox News (Beacon/Shaw) | Oct. 15-19 | 1,592 likely voters | 50% | 48% | Acton +2 |
| Marist | Oct. 15-18 | Likely voters | 50% | 43% | Acton +7 |
| Bowling Green State/YouGov | Sept. 29-Oct. 9 | 1,000 likely voters | 50% | 44% | Acton +6 |
| co/efficient (R) | Oct. 5-6 | 925 likely voters | 43% | 45% | Ramaswamy +2 |
| CNN/SSRS | Sept. 29-Oct. 5 | 760 likely voters | 50% | 42% | Acton +8 |
| New York Times/Siena | Sept. 22-Oct. 1 | 616 likely voters | 49% | 45% | Acton +4 |
Margins of error run from about 2 points in the Fox poll to 4.5 points in the Marist, CNN and Times/Siena polls. ActiVote’s survey offered no undecided option, so its two numbers add up to 100%. Suffolk and co/efficient also measured Libertarian Don Kissick at 3% to 4%. Separately, Axios obtained an internal poll for an unnamed Republican group showing Acton up 50% to 42% among 800 likely voters, surveyed Oct. 23 to 26. Internal polls from partisan groups deserve extra caution.
Ohio polls have shortchanged Republicans before. An earlier Exchange calculation found that Ohio polls underestimated Republicans by about 5 points on average since 2014. That gap shrank to about 2 points in 2024, and past misses do not reliably predict the next one. Still, a 4-to-5-point Acton lead falls within the range of Ohio’s recent polling errors.
How to Vote in Ohio on Nov. 3
- Early voting ends today. Hamilton County’s only early voting site, the Board of Elections at 4700 Smith Road in Norwood, is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. The board has no early voting on Monday, Nov. 2.
- Election Day polls open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. You must vote at your assigned precinct. Look up your polling location or call the Hamilton County Board of Elections at 513-946-8500. Voters in other counties can use VoteOhio.gov.
- Bring an unexpired photo ID. Ohio accepts a driver’s license, state ID card, or interim BMV form; a U.S. passport or passport card; or a U.S. military, Ohio National Guard, or Veterans Affairs ID. Ohio’s mobile ID, out-of-state licenses, utility bills, and bank statements don’t count. Voters without an acceptable ID can cast a provisional ballot, then show ID at the board of elections within four days.
- Absentee ballots must arrive by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. A 2025 state law, Senate Bill 293, ended the old four-day grace period, so a postmark no longer matters. If your ballot is still at home, hand-deliver it to your county board of elections or drop it off at a drop box before polls close. Military and overseas voters still get extra time.
- Requested an absentee ballot but want to vote in person? Poll workers will give you a provisional ballot instead of a regular one.
Every Ohio ballot also carries State Issue 3, the proposed constitutional amendment requiring photo ID to vote. Your county board of elections posts a sample ballot online.
FAQs
Who is Marcell Strbich?
Marcell Strbich is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who ran for Ohio secretary of state as a Republican and lost the May 2026 primary. He describes himself as a grassroots advocate on election integrity and data centers. In his Cincinnati Exchange column, he argues that Vivek Ramaswamy listens to issue advocates and turns their advice into policy.
What does Strbich credit Ramaswamy with?
Strbich credits Ramaswamy with pushing the voter ID constitutional amendment, now State Issue 3, and with a data center pledge that drew on advocates’ input. He also cites the 90-day gas tax holiday that lawmakers passed at Ramaswamy’s urging. Democrat Amy Acton called for a gas tax holiday first, hours before Ramaswamy announced his own plan.
Who is leading the Ohio governor race polls?
Most October polls show Democrat Amy Acton ahead of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. RealClearPolitics’ average had Acton up 4.4 points as of Oct. 27. Individual polls ranged from an 8-point Acton lead in CNN’s survey to a 2-point Ramaswamy lead from co/efficient. By an Exchange calculation, Ohio polls have underestimated Republicans by about 5 points on average since 2014.
What ID do I need to vote in Ohio?
Ohio voters must show an unexpired photo ID at the polls. Acceptable IDs include an Ohio driver’s license, state ID card or interim BMV form, a U.S. passport or passport card, and U.S. military, Ohio National Guard or Veterans Affairs IDs. Voters without one can cast a provisional ballot and show ID at the board of elections within four days.
When does my Ohio absentee ballot have to arrive?
Under Senate Bill 293, an absentee ballot must reach your county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. A postmark no longer counts. Voters can hand-deliver ballots to the board or its drop box until polls close. In Hamilton County, the Board of Elections sits at 4700 Smith Road in Norwood.
The Cincinnati Exchange’s proprietary AI article system helped prepare this voter information section. Opinion: The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Cincinnati Exchange. The Cincinnati Exchange’s proprietary AI article system helped prepare the “Before You Vote” section, polling summary, and FAQs.
