Vivek Ramaswamy moves past primary, gears up for costly Ohio governor race against Amy Acton

Columbus, Ohio: Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has spent his campaign for Ohio governor focused on November's general election and finally gets the chance Tuesday to put the long primary season behind him, as the Trump-endorsed biotech entrepreneur positions for an expensive run against Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director. Contests on the ballots also will set the stage for Ohio's third competitive US Senate race in the last four years, as well as a handful of US House races that are expected to be closely fought in the fall. Every statewide executive office is open this year due to term limits, but the governor's race has captured the bulk of the attention so far. Ramaswamy, a 2024 GOP primary presidential candidate, swept onto the state's political scene early last year as a mad shuffle was taking place. Then-Sen. JD Vance was ascending to the vice presidency and front-running gubernatorial candidate Jon Husted was being appointed to replace him in Washington. That opened a window of opportunity at the top of Republicans' statewide ticket. Though he is a newcomer in state politics, Ramaswamy's national profile, tech industry connections and proximity to Trump landed him the Ohio Republican Party's endorsement. With it, he cleared a prospective field that included the sitting state attorney general, state treasurer and lieutenant governor. But Democrats also saw opportunity with the open governors seat, even as the state, a former bellwether, has tipped convincingly toward Republicans during the Trump era. The president's lagging approval ratings on the economy and dissatisfaction over the war in Iran are contributing to a competitive contest. Acton, a physician and public health expert, emerged as their choice. She became a household name across Ohio in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as she stood alongside Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during...