Washington, October 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian-American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is trailing Democrat Amy Acton by six percentage points in the race for Ohio governor, according to a new Bowling Green State University (BGSU) poll. His deficit has doubled from the previous month, although a majority of Ohio voters still expect him to win.
The BGSU poll, conducted online with YouGov among 1,000 likely voters from September 29 to October 9, put Acton at 50 per cent and Ramaswamy at 44 per cent. The survey has a margin of error of 3.95 percentage points.
BGSU’s September poll had Acton leading Ramaswamy by 48 per cent to 45 per cent.
When asked who they expected to win regardless of their own voting preference, 55 per cent of respondents named Ramaswamy, while 43 per cent picked Acton. In September, the corresponding figures were 62 per cent and 36 per cent.
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“While this will be welcome news to Democrats, a blue wave in Ohio is far from a sure thing. Republicans have closed well in recent statewide elections, and I would be surprised if these races did not end up within the margin of error in either direction,” BGSU political science professor Robert Alexander said.
Ramaswamy recorded a net favourability rating of minus 10, compared with minus one for Acton.
Acton led Ramaswamy on perceptions of caring about ordinary people, with 48 per cent to 30 per cent, and on honesty, with 42 per cent to 34 per cent. The two candidates were tied at 41 per cent on competence.
On campaign advertising, 51 per cent of respondents said Ramaswamy had run more negative advertisements, compared with 28 per cent who said the same about Acton.
The poll also found that US President Donald Trump’s approval rating in Ohio stood at 39 per cent, while 58 per cent disapproved of his performance. Among respondents who voted for Trump in 2024, 24 per cent said they regretted their vote, including 14 per cent who regretted it to some degree and 10 per cent who regretted it a great deal.
Other recent polls have also generally shown Acton ahead. A CNN/SSRS survey of 760 likely voters put her lead at 50 per cent to 42 per cent, while a New York Times/Siena poll of 616 likely voters showed her ahead by 49 per cent to 45 per cent.
However, a co/efficient poll of 925 likely voters placed Ramaswamy ahead, at 45 per cent to Acton’s 43 per cent.
Polling averages have shown Acton leading by around five percentage points. TrackTheVote put her at 48.7 per cent against Ramaswamy’s 43.7 per cent, while FiftyPlusOne recorded figures of 48.7 per cent and 43.9 per cent, respectively. The Hill and Decision Desk HQ placed Acton at 48.3 per cent and Ramaswamy at 43.6 per cent.
Cook Political Report, Inside Elections and Sabato’s Crystal Ball have all rated the race a toss-up.
Ramaswamy has lent his campaign more than $36 million, including over $5 million in August and September, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. Acton raised slightly more than $6 million in September, compared with just over $3 million for Ramaswamy. The next state campaign finance reports are due on October 23.
Early voting is under way ahead of the November 3 election.
Ramaswamy, a biotechnology entrepreneur and the son of Indian immigrants, is seeking to become the third Indian-American governor in US history, following Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Nikki Haley of South Carolina.
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