Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy launched a $10 million advertising blitz in Ohio on Thursday, which will run through the general election, reflecting his significant financial advantage over Democratic rival Amy Acton.
The biotech entrepreneur has a dominant fundraising position in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH), who previously held the record for Ohio gubernatorial campaign fundraising.
Ramaswamy’s campaign reported raising a record-breaking $19.8 million in 2025, including a record $9.88 million in the second half of the year. DeWine raised $8.4 million in 2017.
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According to his campaign website, 97% of donations are from individual donors contributing $200 or less. 54,883 donations came from 88,950 unique donors, with an average contribution of $76.
By contrast, Acton, the former Ohio Department of Health Director, raised about $1.35 million early in the race and has trailed significantly in fundraising since entering the contest. By the end of 2025, she had raised about $5.3 million.
Campaign finance reports show Ramaswamy with a large cash-on-hand advantage. He had roughly $12 million available for the campaign at the end of 2025, while Acton’s campaign reported about $3 million in the bank.
Despite Ramaswamy’s billionaire status, he has avoided self-funding his campaign. Only $800,000 of his personal fortune has gone toward his campaign, and the sum was used primarily for private jets.
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Ramaswamy previously ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 and has since secured President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party’s endorsements for the office.
Acton emerged as the likely Democratic nominee after former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) opted not to enter the race, leaving her as the party’s most prominent candidate.
Early polling suggested Ramaswamy holds a slight advantage in the race. December 2025 polls show a one to two-point difference between the candidates, with Acton and Ramaswamy swapping the lead.
The ads Ramawamy’s campaign will be running are titled “Ohio’s Future,” which will feature personal testimony from his wife about her husband, and “Backing the Blue,” which will discuss his support for law enforcement.
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Ramaswamy received Trump’s endorsement on his first day in the gubernatorial race, and his national prominence has reduced the chances of a messy primary.
The Ohio gubernatorial Republican primary is scheduled for May 5. Ramaswamy will face competition from Casey Putsch, who has branded herself as “America first”, and Heather Hill, an Ohio businesswoman.
