2026 Ohio gubernatorial election
The 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of Ohio. The primary elections will take place on May 5, 2026. Incumbent Republican governor Mike DeWine is term-limited and ineligible to seek a third consecutive term. The winner of the election will be inaugurated on January 11, 2027.
Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election in Ohio since Ted Strickland was elected governor in 2006, and have not won a statewide race since Jennifer Brunner defeated incumbent Supreme Court of Ohio associate justice Judith French in 2020.
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Heather Hill, business owner, and former president of the Morgan County School Board
- * Running mate: Stuart Moats, business owner and reality TV star
- Philip Funderburg, insurance agent
- Casey Putsch, automotive entrepreneur
- * Running mate: Kim Georgeton, Warren County central committee member
- Vivek Ramaswamy, founder of Roivant Sciences and candidate for president in 2024
- * Running mate: Rob McColley, president of the Ohio Senate from the 1st district
Withdrawn
- Matt Mayer, former director of the Buckeye Institute
- Robert Sprague, Ohio state treasurer
- Dave Yost, Ohio attorney general and former Ohio state auditor
Declined
- Warren Davidson, U.S. representative from Ohio's 8th congressional district '
- Jon Husted, U.S. senator, former lieutenant governor, and candidate for governor in 2018 ''
- Frank LaRose, Ohio secretary of state and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024 '
- Jim Tressel, lieutenant governor of Ohio
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Department of Health
- * Running mate: David Pepper, former chair of Ohio Democratic Party, former member of Hamilton County Commission, nominee for state auditor in 2010, and nominee for attorney general in 2014
- Jacob Chiara
Declined
- Sherrod Brown, former U.S. senator '
- Shontel Brown, U.S. representative from
- Greg Landsman, U.S. representative from '
- Allison Russo, former minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives and nominee for Ohio's 15th congressional district in the 2021 special election
- Tim Ryan, former U.S. representative, nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022, and candidate for president in 2020
- Emilia Sykes, U.S. representative from ''''
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Declared
- Don Kissick, television station operator and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2024
- Mike Mains, Harrison City Councilman
- Travis Vought, risk-management lead at JPMorgan Chase
Independents
Candidates
Declared
- Timothy Grady, former graduate student and write-in candidate for governor in 2022, former chair of the Ohio Forward Party
General election
Polling
Vivek Ramaswamy vs. Amy ActonAggregate polls
Vivek Ramaswamy vs. Tim Ryan
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Vivek Ramaswamy | Tim Ryan | Other | Undecided |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov | October 2–14, 2025 | 800 | ± 4.5% | 49% | 47% | 4% | – |
| Emerson College | August 18–19, 2025 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 49% | 41% | – | 10% |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov | April 18–24, 2025 | 800 | ± 4.1% | 51% | 44% | 5% | – |
| Public Policy Polling | February 19–20, 2025 | 642 | ± 3.9% | 48% | 42% | – | 10% |
Dave Yost vs. Amy Acton
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dave Yost | Amy Acton | Other | Undecided |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov | April 18–24, 2025 | 800 | ± 4.1% | 46% | 45% | 9% | – |
Dave Yost vs. Tim Ryan
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dave Yost | Tim Ryan | Other | Undecided |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov | April 18–24, 2025 | 800 | ± 4.1% | 46% | 44% | 10% | – |
Jim Tressel vs. Amy Acton
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jim Tressel | Amy Acton | Other | Undecided |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov | April 18–24, 2025 | 800 | ± 4.1% | 46% | 44% | 10% | – |
Jim Tressel vs. Tim Ryan
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jim Tressel | Tim Ryan | Other | Undecided |
| Bowling Green State University/YouGov | April 18–24, 2025 | 800 | ± 4.1% | 46% | 43% | 11% | – |