Women Shift Ohio Governor’s Race: Amy Acton Surges Ahead of Vivek Ramaswamy in Emerson Poll

By Mark Swanson | Thursday, 11 December 2025 12:48 PM EST

Democrat Amy Acton has surged from trailing by 10 points to a narrow lead over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio governor’s race, according to a new Emerson College poll released Thursday.

Acton now leads Ramaswamy 46% to 45%, with 9% undecided. In August, Ramaswamy held a 49% to 39% advantage, with 12% undecided.

Women voters have accounted for the swing, according to Emerson’s analysis.

“The August Emerson College poll found women voters split between Ramaswamy and Acton, 44% to 42%, and men breaking for Ramaswamy 54% to 36%. Four months later, men still support Ramaswamy by about 20 points, 55% to 35%, but women have shifted toward Acton, breaking for her 56% to 37%,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said.

The survey also showed the Ohio Senate race between Republican Sen. Jon Husted and former Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown is essentially neck and neck, with only a slim margin separating them.

Husted’s lead has tightened considerably. After leading by six points in August, he is now ahead just 49% to 46%, with 5% of voters undecided.

Husted was appointed to the Senate in January 2025 by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to fill the seat vacated by JD Vance after Vance became vice president. Because of Ohio law, Husted’s appointment lasts only until a special election in November 2026, which will determine who serves the remainder of the term through 2028.

Brown is vying for a return to the Senate after losing to Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024.

The economy remains the dominant concern for Ohio voters at 44%, followed by threats to democracy at 13%. Healthcare ranks third at 11%, with housing affordability at 9%, immigration at 8%, and education at 7%.

When asked which party they trust more to make Ohio more affordable, 43% chose the Republican Party and 37% chose the Democratic Party. Another 19% said they trust neither party on this issue.

Emerson College Polling surveyed 850 active registered voters from December 6-8. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 points with a confidence interval of 95%.

Mark Swanson is a veteran columnist with nearly three decades of experience in news, culture and politics.