Ohio Election Results 2026: Acton, Brown Win Key Races
Ohio Election Results 2026: Acton Wins Governor, Brown Wins Senate
Ohio voters made two big choices on November 3, 2026. They picked a new governor to replace a term-limited Republican and they decided who would finish JD Vance’s Senate term.
This guide covers who won, what the margins and context mean and where to find the official numbers as counting wraps up.
Quick Answer
Democrat Amy Acton won Ohio’s governor’s race, defeating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Sherrod Brown won the U.S. Senate special election, defeating Sen. Jon Husted, according to Associated Press race calls on November 3, 2026. These are unofficial results; Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections still must complete the official canvass.
Ohio Governor Results: Amy Acton Defeats Vivek Ramaswamy
The governor’s seat was open because Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is term-limited. Acton, a physician who led the Ohio Department of Health early in the COVID-19 pandemic, beat Ramaswamy, a businessman and former presidential candidate.
The Associated Press reported that Acton is the first Democrat elected governor of Ohio in 20 years and the first woman elected to the office. Republicans had held the governorship for 16 years. The AP also reported that more than $100 million was spent against her.
Reporting on the race tied her win to voters’ frustration over prices, including tariffs and higher fuel costs. That is context from news coverage, not a measured explanation of why individual voters chose a candidate.
Vote totals were still changing on Wednesday and differed slightly between outlets, so this article does not give final percentages.
Ohio Senate Results: Sherrod Brown Defeats Jon Husted
The Senate contest was a special election for the remainder of the term Vance won in 2022. Gov. DeWine appointed Husted, then lieutenant governor, to the seat after Vance became vice president.
Brown, a former three-term senator, lost his seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024. This time he defeated Husted, flipping the seat to Democrats, according to the AP. Husted conceded. The winner serves until 2028 and must then run for a full six-year term.
Ohio Capital Journal reported that more than $500 million had been spent on ads and ad reservations in the race by the end of October. Coverage described it as one of the most expensive Senate races of the cycle.
Other Ohio Races: What’s Confirmed
| Race | Candidates | Status as of Nov. 4, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Governor | Amy Acton (D) vs. Vivek Ramaswamy (R) | Acton won (AP call) |
| U.S. Senate (special) | Sherrod Brown (D) vs. Jon Husted (R) | Brown won (AP call) |
| Secretary of State | Allison Russo (D) vs. Robert Sprague (R) | Russo reported as winner |
| Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, Supreme Court, U.S. House | Various | Check the Ohio Secretary of State’s results |
Statewide candidates for the other offices were Keith Faber (R) and John Kulewicz (D) for attorney general, Frank LaRose (R) and Annette Blackwell (D) for auditor and Jay Edwards (R) and Seth Walsh (D) for treasurer.
US Midterm Election Results: Democrats Win House and Senate
Unofficial vs Official Ohio Election Results
Election-night totals are unofficial. After the election, each of Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections conducts an official canvass, which the Secretary of State’s office says takes place within 21 days of an election. The Secretary of State then certifies the statewide results. For the May 2026 primary, certification came in early June.
2026 US Midterm Election Day: Voting Hours, Polls and Key Info
Small differences between websites usually reflect timing, because outlets update at different moments and ballots such as provisional ballots are counted later. For final figures, use the Ohio Secretary of State’s official results portal rather than a news site’s snapshot.
Frequently Asked Question
Conclusion
Ohio’s 2026 election results show Democrats winning the two biggest contests on the ballot: Amy Acton for governor and Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate, both called by the AP. Treat them as unofficial until certification and check the Secretary of State’s results portal for county-level numbers and the remaining statewide and local races.
