Ohio River

Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy are courting rural Ohio voters ahead of the Nov. 3 governor's race to succeed term-limited Mike DeWine, with the Cook Political Report ranking the contest a toss-up. In Marietta, Acton proposed a three-year moratorium on new fracking injection wells over groundwater fears, winning praise from a local Republican official. Both candidates have also targeted data centers, with Ramaswamy pushing a plan requiring tech companies to cover residents' electricity bills, halt non-disclosure agreements, and build only on pre-zoned industrial land rather than farmland, while Acton wants data center projects to prove they can cover utility costs and use union labor before proceeding.

The race has grown notably hostile, including an incident in which an armed man charged toward Acton at a campaign stop, injuring bystanders. Acton has refused to debate Ramaswamy, accusing him of lying and attacking her family, though she remains open to forums. Early voting began Oct. 6, with polling showing Acton holding a narrow lead. Other close Ohio contests include U.S. House races in the 7th and 9th districts.

A new report from Ohio River South, "Accelerating South," finds that Louisiana's outsized political influence in Washington isn't clearly translating into economic benefits like lower costs or population growth. Despite prominent Louisiana figures in congressional leadership and close ties to President Trump's inner circle, CEO Howard Franklin says it's hard to point to concrete gains for residents.

The report highlights rising insurance costs as a key example: as insuring real estate becomes a bigger factor in business and migration decisions across the South, Louisiana's Trump-aligned representatives, including Reps. Steve Scalise and Mike Johnson, haven't pushed aggressive insurance reforms, even as federal policy shifts more climate-related costs onto states. Franklin also notes Louisiana's traditional industries have made it more vulnerable to climate change, suggesting political priorities may eventually need to catch up with economic realities. The report comes as the broader South now generates more GDP than any other U.S. region, with analysts watching whether recent economic development announcements can help spur Louisiana's growth.