Two new polls show Acton ahead of Ramaswamy in Ohio governor race
Suffolk and Marist polls released 29 September put Democrat Amy Acton ahead of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, as Ohio Republicans moved on a gas tax suspension Ramaswamy proposed.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Two polls released on 29 September showed Democrat Amy Acton leading Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio governor's race. NewsweekN “Republican Vivek Ramaswamy trailed Democrat Amy Acton in two new polls of the Ohio governor’s race released Tuesday by Marist University and Suffolk University” Read at Newsweek ↗ Suffolk gave Acton a 9-point lead, 50% to 41%, among 500 likely voters, and Marist gave her a 6-point lead, 50% to 44%, among 1,298 registered voters. NewsweekN “Acton led by 9 points, 50 percent to 41 percent, in the Suffolk poll.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Both polls found Acton ahead among independents and women; Newsweek notes Donald Trump narrowly won both groups in Ohio in 2024. NewsweekN “The pair of polls found that independent voters and women are bolstering Acton’s showing in the state.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Earlier polls were closer: a YouGov/Bowling Green poll gave Acton a 3-point lead, while a Fox News poll in August had Ramaswamy ahead by 2. Forecasters including the Cook Political Report rate the race a toss-up. NewsweekN “Ramaswamy, however, held a 2-point lead in a Fox News poll, 50 percent to 48 percent.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Ramaswamy's spokesperson Evan Machan said polls are 'inevitably wrong', while Acton's campaign manager Philip Stein called Ramaswamy an 'out-of-touch billionaire' running misleading ads. NewsweekN ““Every election year, the media does the exact same thing: they follow public polls, build their coverage around them, and treat them like gospel.” Read at Newsweek ↗ An Ohio Capital Journal opinion column, run by Raw Story, says the polls show Acton with a slight edge and argues Ramaswamy is using the Republican-led legislature to revive the campaign. Raw StoryL “The latest polls show Acton with a slight edge over Ramaswamy.” Read at Raw Story ↗
The column says Republicans passed a voter ID amendment for the November ballot at Ramaswamy's request, and that Ramaswamy proposed a 90-day gas tax suspension about six hours after Acton called for a gas tax holiday. Raw StoryL “Ramaswamy announced a similar 90-day gas tax suspension proposal about six hours later.” Read at Raw Story ↗ It adds that a special session was scheduled for Wednesday, that the suspension would cost about $700 million, and that Gov. Mike DeWine called using transportation money to cover it a 'very, very bad idea'. Raw StoryL “will cost the state around $700 million in lost revenue” Read at Raw Story ↗ Newsweek reports Acton supports the voter ID amendment, Issue 3. NewsweekN “has said she supports Issue 3, an amendment that would put the state’s voter ID requirements into its constitution.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- An opinion column portrays Ramaswamy as directing a compliant Republican legislature, as part of a broader complaint about GOP deference to Trump.
- Emphasis
- Legislative deference, the cost of the gas tax suspension, DeWine's objection.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives no poll numbers and no Ramaswamy or Republican response to its criticism.
- Charged language
- “convicted felon in the White House”“dear leader”“megalomaniac”“last-ditch gambit”
- For example
-
“This is a last-ditch effort by Ramaswamy — in league with compliant team players in the legislature — to change the trajectory of a political campaign” — Raw Story
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Newsweek presents the polls as a 'double polling blow' to Ramaswamy, with detailed numbers, context and campaign statements from both sides.
- Emphasis
- Poll figures, demographic breakdowns, prediction markets, Ohio's political history.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Ramaswamy's gas tax proposal or the special legislative session.
- Charged language
- “Dealt Double Polling Blow”
- For example
-
“Vivek Ramaswamy Dealt Double Polling Blow Against Amy Acton Within 24 Hours” — Newsweek
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Acton, a Democrat and former Ohio Department of Health director, leads Ramaswamy in the latest polling.
- The race is considered competitive, with Trump's endorsement of Ramaswamy and the Iran war's effect on gas prices as context.
- Acton and Ramaswamy each proposed gas tax relief or related measures, and a voter ID amendment is on the November ballot.
Where accounts differ
-
Size and meaning of Acton's lead
- Left
- The opinion column calls Acton's edge 'slight' and sees Ramaswamy's legislative moves as a last-ditch effort to change course.
- Centre
- Newsweek reports 6- and 9-point leads in two polls and earlier polls ranging from a Ramaswamy lead to a 3-point Acton lead; it calls the race a toss-up.
Vivek Ramaswamy person
Ramaswamy's campaign dismisses public polls as unreliable; the column says Ramaswamy proposed a gas tax suspension and a voter ID amendment.
“those polls are inevitably wrong” — Newsweek
“Ramaswamy called on the legislature to make Ohio’s voter ID law, that polls favorably, a constitutional requirement” — Raw Story
Left1 article
-
Raw StoryL · · Opinion
This last-ditch gambit by Republicans could be their undoing come November
Critical Opinion piece criticising Ramaswamy and Republican legislators for deferring to Ramaswamy and Trump, treating the gas tax and voter ID moves as gimmicks.
Centre1 article
-
Vivek Ramaswamy Dealt Double Polling Blow Against Amy Acton Within 24 Hours
Neutral Data-driven news report framing the polls as a setback for Ramaswamy while including both campaigns' responses.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 29 Sep 17:09 First NewsweekN Vivek Ramaswamy Dealt Double Polling Blow Against Amy Acton Within 24 Hours
- 1 Oct 01:14 +32h 5m Raw StoryL This last-ditch gambit by Republicans could be their undoing come November Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.