Mike DeWine

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton toured the Youngstown Business Incubator and rallied in Liberty, stressing ties to Mahoning and Trumbull counties ahead of Election Day against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Acton has repeatedly addressed a Ramaswamy-backed ad featuring her estranged mother, calling her a liar and alleging mental health issues; Gov. Mike DeWine called it exploitative. Both candidates are closing with pitches on Ohio's affordability crisis, with Ramaswamy touting his business background and property-tax executive orders, and Acton emphasizing public-service experience, a working families tax cut, and school funding.

Ramaswamy has self-funded and outspent Acton nearly $80 million to $34 million overall, though Acton has outraised him recently; both have shattered Ohio's gubernatorial fundraising record, and neither has held elected office before. Democrats are banking on a late push, including a Cleveland rally with Barack Obama and expanded early voting, as prediction markets show Acton favored heading into Election Day.

Ohio voters on Nov. 3 will pick a successor to term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine, with Republican Vivek Ramaswamy facing Democrat Amy Acton and Libertarian Don Kissick. The same ballot includes a special U.S. Senate election to fill the remainder of JD Vance's term, pitting incumbent appointee Jon Husted against challengers; the winner serves until 2028. All 15 Ohio U.S. House seats are also up, under a new Republican-favorable congressional map targeting Democratic-held districts. In Kentucky, Republican Andy Barr and Democrat Charles Booker are competing for the seat long held by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell. Indiana will re-elect its House delegation, and ballot measures appear in all three states.

The Dayton Branch of the NAACP is asking Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to grant executive clemency to China Arnold, 46, who is serving life without parole for the 2005 microwave death of her 28-day-old daughter, Paris Talley. Arnold was convicted in her third trial in 2011 after a mistrial and an overturned conviction; she has maintained her innocence throughout. NAACP President Derrick Foward called her a model inmate and noted her three surviving children have grown up without her. The group is urging DeWine to act before he leaves office in January, framing the case as a test of clemency and sentencing proportionality in Ohio's justice system.

President Trump holds a midterm rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, his third visit to the state this month, highlighting competitive governor and Senate races. Gov. Mike DeWine, a fellow Republican, had not announced plans to greet him, after Trump recently called DeWine "disloyal" and a "RINO" on Truth Social for urging gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to pull an attack ad targeting Democrat Amy Acton. DeWine kept his endorsement of Ramaswamy but criticized the ad. DeWine has greeted presidents of both parties at past Ohio visits, though he skipped Trump's two previous recent stops, once to attend a funeral. DeWine is term-limited and cannot run again.

Ohio state Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) has introduced Senate Bill 479 to prohibit gambling on elections, a measure that would extend to prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket. The bill follows a 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Ohio can regulate prediction markets under state gambling law, a decision Kalshi is appealing. DeMora cited election-security concerns, noting large sums already wagered on Ohio's governor and Senate races, and argued unregulated prediction markets avoid taxes and licensing fees paid by sports betting operators. The bill awaits committee assignment and is unlikely to advance before the legislature returns from break in November.

The Ohio Supreme Court has declined to reconsider its earlier dismissal of a lawsuit seeking $900 million in federal pandemic unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands of Ohio workers. The money stems from Gov. Mike DeWine's 2021 decision to withdraw Ohio from a federal program providing extra weekly unemployment payments during COVID-19. Plaintiffs, represented by attorney Marc Dann, argued DeWine's unilateral move violated separation-of-powers principles and a 1970s state law, since only the legislature should have ended participation. Lower courts split on the issue before the state's high court dismissed the case as moot. Dann says a narrow chance remains the funds, held by the U.S. Department of Labor, could still be preserved for a future administration.

The North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation has released updated designs for the 50-acre site around Cleveland's Browns stadium, which is set to be demolished. The plan creates a street-grid neighborhood with zones for housing, offices, hotels, and recreation, centered on a park where the football field now sits. Features include a Lake Erie Plaza for markets and events, a waterfront promenade linking the Great Lakes Science Center and Rock Hall, and roughly 7.5 acres of public green space. A previously proposed 10,000-seat venue was dropped. A related land bridge connecting downtown to the lakefront was also updated, narrowing from 100 to 60 feet wide, with construction expected to begin in 2027.

Ohio has made gains against opioid addiction and overdose deaths under Gov. Mike DeWine, who championed the RecoveryOhio initiative. With his term ending and a new governor to be elected soon, advocates and lawmakers are watching whether Democrat Amy Acton or Republican Vivek Ramaswamy will keep up the state's focus on treatment and prevention. Acton, who helped lead RecoveryOhio as state health director, pledges to expand treatment access and hold corporations accountable; Ramaswamy's campaign says he supports continuing the initiative and prioritizes behavioral health. Legislators cite concerns including workforce impacts from failed drug tests, looming Medicaid funding cuts, and debate over expanding treatments like cannabis and psilocybin for addiction-linked depression.