Democrats Win Ohio Governor, Senate and Secretary of State Races as Voter ID Amendment Passes

Ohio voters chose Democrats for three of the state’s biggest offices on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Amy Acton won the race for governor. Sherrod Brown won Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, and Allison Russo won the race for secretary of state. Voters also approved Issue 3, which puts Ohio’s voter ID laws in the state constitution. All results are unofficial. County boards of elections will keep counting provisional and late absentee ballots before the results are certified. Acton Wins the Governor’s Race Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the race for governor. The Associated Press projected her the winner Tuesday night. Final vote totals were not yet available. Brown Returns to the U.S. Senate Sherrod Brown won Ohio’s U.S. Senate race over Republican Jon Husted. The Associated Press called the race Tuesday night. With 87% of the vote reported, Brown had 48.6%. Husted had 46.5%. The win marks a comeback for Brown, who lost his Senate seat in 2024. Russo Wins a Close Secretary of State Race Democrat Allison Russo narrowly won the race for Ohio secretary of state. She had 49% of the vote in preliminary Associated Press results. Republican Robert Sprague, the current state auditor, had 48%. Libertarian Tom Pruss received about 3%. Russo is the first Democrat to win a down ballot statewide office in Ohio since 2008. Sprague declined to comment after his concession speech. Voters Approve Issue 3 Issue 3 passed statewide, according to Associated Press projections. The amendment adds Ohio’s voter ID laws to the state constitution. Ohio already requires photo identification to vote under state law. The amendment places that requirement in the constitution itself. Several Statewide Races Still Too Close to Call Not every statewide race was settled on election night. As of about 1 a.m. Wednesday, the other statewide races were still too close to call. Several had margins of 1% to 2%. These races include: Attorney General: Republican Keith Faber and Democrat John J. Kulewicz Treasurer: Republican Jay Edwards and Democrat Seth Walsh Auditor: Democrat Annette Blackwell and Republican Frank LaRose Ohio Supreme Court: Justice Jennifer Brunner and Colleen O’Donnell What Happens Next County boards of elections will count the remaining provisional and absentee ballots in the coming weeks. Results become official once the boards certify them. Under Ohio law, races decided by very small margins can trigger an automatic recount. Frequently Asked Questions Who won the Ohio governor’s race? Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. The Associated Press projected her the winner Tuesday night. Who won Ohio’s U.S. Senate race? Sherrod Brown won over Republican Jon Husted. Brown had 48.6% of the vote to Husted’s 46.5% with 87% of the vote reported. Who is Ohio’s new secretary of state? Democrat Allison Russo won with 49% of the vote in preliminary results. She is the first Democrat to win a down ballot statewide office in Ohio since 2008. Did Ohio Issue 3 pass? Yes. Issue 3 passed and adds Ohio’s voter ID laws to the state constitution. Are the Ohio election results final? No. All results are unofficial until county boards of elections finish counting and certify them. Several statewide races were still too close to call early Wednesday.