Ohio [US], November 3 (ANI): Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy cast his ballot in Columbus on Tuesday morning, acknowledging the economic pressures confronting voters while calling on Ohioans to hold elected leaders accountable to improve household living standards.
Speaking to reporters after voting, the former presidential candidate and entrepreneur described the election as a fundamental choice over which leadership can better enable families to thrive amid economic uncertainty.
"It is a tough time. There's no doubt about it," Ramaswamy said, as reported by ABC News. "People are looking not just to make ends meet, but get ahead… This election, especially for the role of governor, just comes down to who's going to allow your family to live a better life."
Ramaswamy, who stepped into the voting booth on Tuesday alongside millions of state residents, emphasised that candidates must deliver on their commitments to the electorate once elected.
"I've been a candidate the whole time. But today, I was also wearing my hat as a voter. And as I think about every other voter who's checking that box next to my name, or frankly anything on that ballot, I want them to hold me, hold all of us on this ticket accountable to deliver for them," Ramaswamy added, according to ABC News.
Ramaswamy is facing off against Democratic candidate Amy Acton, the former state health director, in a high-stakes, closely watched race for governor that has been jostled by controversial ad campaigns and heated rhetoric.
Voting in Columbus on Tuesday morning, Acton voiced optimism about voter turnout and the atmosphere at polling locations, framing Ohio as a crucial test for political discourse.
"The energy of folks, there's actual joy and hope out here, and watching people with one another, I almost feel like I'm watching it instead of being in the middle of it," Acton told reporters, as reported by ABC News. "So it's a great uplifting feeling. We didn't get here overnight in Ohio. We have a lot of work ahead of us, so we're going to need that energy because I'm going to be asking more of everybody as we move forward."
Noting that state residents are grappling with rising costs and seeking a leader who will lower the political temperature, Acton characterised the state as a critical battleground for public values.
"I do think we are ground zero for decency and compassion and integrity being on the ballot, and I am very hopeful that we'll see that continue to grow," Acton stated, according to ABC News.
Earlier in the day, Democratic candidate Amy Acton was leading the Ohio gubernatorial race by 7.9 percentage points over her Republican rival, Vivek Ramaswamy, according to the Atlas Poll. Acton has secured 51.8 per cent support, compared to 43.9 per cent for Ramaswamy, the survey found.
Furthermore, Libertarian candidate Don Kissick registers 2.0 per cent, while other candidates account for 1.2 per cent. The poll results additionally show that 0.8 per cent of respondents would not vote, while 0.4 per cent remain undecided.
Against this polling backdrop, Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy made a final campaign push across Ohio on the eve of the 2026 US midterms, urging voters to back his bid for governor.
Campaigning in Toledo and Cleveland, Ramaswamy focused on property tax cuts, lower electricity bills, law enforcement and tackling crime, presenting the election as a choice between what he described as "common sense" and "crazy" policies.
Addressing supporters in Toledo, Ramaswamy said, "Slash property taxes quickly. Restore the rule of law on our streets. Cut electric bills by producing more energy. This isn’t right vs. left; it’s right vs. wrong. It’s common sense vs. crazy. That’s the choice tomorrow."
He also highlighted the stakes of the election for Ohio residents, saying, "12 million Ohioans are depending on what happens tomorrow night. The next governor faces tough tasks on property taxes, prosecuting fraud, locking up criminals, and healthcare affordability. The consequences are serious; this is what’s at stake."At a campaign event in Cleveland, Ramaswamy reiterated his promises on taxation, energy costs and public safety.
"We’re going to slash your property taxes, slash your electric bills, and crush crime regardless of your party or who you vote for. Thank you for the warm Election Eve welcome in Cleveland tonight!" he said in a post on X.
Earlier, Ramaswamy had sought to frame the gubernatorial contest as a choice between competing political ideologies, writing on X, "This isn’t a choice between Republicans and your parents’ version of the Democrat Party. It’s between common sense & crazy policies. Socialism is spreading & we must reject it in Ohio."
US Vice President JD Vance also campaigned for Ramaswamy in Cleveland, urging voters to support the Republican candidate and Jon Husted, the Republican candidate in the Senate race, ahead of Election Day.
Recalling his upbringing in Ohio, Vance said, "I was raised by a union steel worker right here in Ohio by a man who voted for Democrats his entire life, but the Democrats today look nothing like they did a few decades ago. They're more extreme, they're weak on crime and the southern border, they're more socialist, and they're flat-out wrong for Ohio."
"If you want elected leaders who fight for workers, support lower taxes, and stand up for common-sense values, then get out and vote for Vivek Ramaswamy and Jon Husted at the ballot box tomorrow," he added.
Beyond the gubernatorial contest, the same Atlas Poll highlighted tighter margins down the ballot, showing Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown leading Republican incumbent Jon Husted by 7.5 percentage points in the Ohio US Senate race, with Brown standing at 51.4 per cent compared to Husted's 43.9 per cent.
Ohio is among the gubernatorial contests being closely watched in the November 3 elections. Thirty-six governorships are up for election, with competitive races concentrated in presidential battleground states, including Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and Nevada, alongside Ohio.
The state, which US President Donald Trump turned solidly Republican during his presidential bids, could once again emerge as a competitive political battleground, with polling suggesting a potentially closer contest.
This comes as More than 230 million eligible voters in the United States are heading to the polls across the nation as voting gets underway in the 2026 midterm elections, a high-stakes referendum on the second half of President Donald Trump's term that will determine the balance of power in Washington.
With all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats on the ballot, major pollsters and forecasting models project key potential gains for Democrats, who are seeking to capture the narrow majorities needed to take back control of both chambers of Congress.
Democrats hold advantages over Republicans in nearly all of the seven key battleground states that will determine control of the US Senate, according to the latest set of pre-midterm election polls released by The New York Times and Siena University.
The polling highlights notable Democratic strength in traditional Republican territory. Surveys show Democratic candidates holding sizable leads in Texas, a state that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, as well as Kansas, which last elected a Democratic senator in 1932.
Reclaiming a Senate majority presents a challenging path for Democrats. To secure control, the party must defend every seat it currently holds while successfully flipping at least four Republican-held seats, an undertaking widely viewed as an uphill battle given that several targeted contests are located in deep-red strongholds.
Despite those obstacles, the latest survey data indicates Democratic candidates are leading in five states currently represented by Republican senators and are effectively tied in a sixth. Democratic contenders hold leads in Kansas, Maine, Ohio, and Texas, alongside a narrow edge in Alaska, while remaining effectively tied in Iowa.
Nationally, voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and frustration over his economic management continue to drag down Republican candidates. According to the polling, just 38 per cent of likely voters approved of the president's performance.
The first election results could begin emerging on Tuesday as polling stations close across different states. Vote counting will continue throughout Tuesday evening and into Wednesday as election officials process ballots and release results.
However, the final outcome in several contests may take longer to establish, as mail-in, provisional and other ballots are often counted after election night. Consequently, the final vote tallies could take several days or even weeks to be completed.
With Republicans currently holding majorities in both chambers, the outcome of the elections will determine which party controls Congress for the next two years. Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the Senate and three seats in the House of Representatives to secure majorities in the respective chambers. (ANI)
"Hold all of us on this ticket accountable": Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy casts his ballot
