Vivek Ramaswamy calls his Democratic opponent the "Kamala Harris of Ohio" — and vows to beat her just like in 2024.
It's the perfect nickname, because it does double damage. It ties Amy Acton to the most rejected national Democrat in recent memory, and it reminds Ohio voters exactly how that story ended last time: with Donald Trump winning and Kamala Harris losing.
Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, has run a relentless campaign — and the Harris comparison is no accident. Acton, a physician and former state health director, is running as the Democratic alternative in a state Trump carried decisively. Ramaswamy's message: Ohio already rendered its verdict on Harris-style politics in 2024, and 2026 will be the sequel.
Trump himself campaigned in Ohio this weekend for the Republican ticket, telling a Vandalia rally crowd he expects a "big surprise" in the midterms. With Ramaswamy channeling the 2024 playbook and Acton wearing the Harris label, Ohio's governor's race is shaping up as a rematch of an election Democrats already lost.