Why I backed Amy Acton, not Vivek Ramaswamy, as an Indian-American in Ohio

Ohio’s voters had to choose a state governor between a white American woman who grew up in poverty and a billionaire Indian-American man in the same ilk as US President Donald Trump.

South Asian Democratic activists in Ohio who supported Dr Amy Acton, 60, faced an additional challenge while canvassing for South Asian votes as her opponent, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, 41, is of Indian origin.

Our argument to those on the fence or those we were trying to convince to switch sides was based on the tested political logic that “not all skin-folk are kinfolk”, and a call to vote for one’s values.

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What do Indians as a group tend to favour? Answer: Education, science, research, good healthcare, immigration (H1Bs) and cultural diversity, among other things. Democrats, including Acton, embrace all these things.

On the other hand, Ramaswamy is a MAGA clone and advocated for none of these issues.

Early doubts

As the campaign wore on, Acton’s crowds and donors became bigger, and her fundraising turned larger. The state party was behind her, and the Democratic National Committee supported her at the national level.

But when it all began, there were plenty of doubts about Acton.

When she started her campaign in 2025, many did not think she would last. A physician, she was the Ohio State Health Director whose calming and comforting voice was heard on TV every day during the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Asian Democratic activists in Ohio who supported Dr Amy Acton faced an additional challenge while canvassing for South Asian votes as her opponent, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, 41, is of Indian origin.

After far-right extremists took to the streets to end social distancing and mask mandates (based on ignorance and a rejection of science), the Republican administration wanted her to sign orders she could not morally agree with. So she chose to step down rather than act against her Hippocratic Oath and conscience.

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Unfortunately, this was completely misunderstood by many Ohioans as weak. People believed she left due to the pressure of the position, the threats against her and her family by right-wingers, and/or an inability to lead.

Far from weak

Although wrong, this reputation followed her. Even some Democrats felt she was a weak candidate. I constantly argued otherwise.

When I heard her address an audience for the first time in person, I was stunned. I realised she had so much confidence, gusto and intelligence. I was sold on her candidacy and determined to support her in every way I could.

Her campaign built coalitions around the state — rural voters, urban voters, and different demographic groups (religious, South Asian, African American and Hispanic, to name a few).

I forged a partnership with the Ohio Democratic Party and “They See Blue Ohio” (‘They See’ is a wordplay on ‘Desi’) as well as South Asians for America to implement phone banks targeting South Asian voters in Ohio to vote for Acton.

Controversial campaign ad

Acton's campaign was progressing beautifully when Ramaswamy, obviously rattled, came up with a nauseating campaign ad which attacked Acton viciously below the belt.

The ad involved her mother and called Acton a liar, although the two women had been estranged for decades. Court documents showed she and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody after their stepfather was indicted on charges of sexually assaulting Acton when she was a child.

The $4 million campaign upset virtually everyone, including Republicans. Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called it “deeply, deeply troubling”. In the end, the ad hugely backfired on Ramaswamy. It was a catalyst for his defeat.

A most unexpected thing happened after the ad. Acton’s campaign raised millions of dollars from people all across the country and not just Ohio.

A bitter lesson

The ad will go down as one of the worst political campaign blunders of all time in American politics. Word has it that people in his own campaign warned him not to air it. But he didn’t listen to them.

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Mass support soared after the ad, but not just because of it. At every event I attended, I met voters who concluded after listening to Acton that she was an amazing speaker, a sharp and intelligent individual, and someone who truly cares for fellow humans.

Acton may now be an accomplished individual, but she grew up in poverty. At one point, she lived in a tent with her younger brother.

Thanks to Ramaswamy’s despicable campaign ad, the whole country now knows that Acton suffered unimaginable pain and hurt as a young girl at the hands of her stepfather and biological mother. These things resonated with average Ohioans. Acton knows how it is not to be socially or financially privileged.

A Democrats win

In the end, Acton won 52 per cent of the vote in Ohio compared to Ramaswamy’s 44 per cent. I was ecstatic.

Acton will be the first female Governor in Ohio (not counting Nancy Hollister, who served as Governor for 11 days in 1998-99 when then-Governor George Voinovich resigned to join the US Senate).

Yes, the Iran war and other factors played a role in decimating the Republicans in the midterm elections, including in Ohio.

But one cannot take away the qualities that make the Democrats appealing to so many Americans. It is a party that most aligns with my values and what I deem to encompass the ideals I strive for.

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Examples include equal rights for all ethnic and underprivileged groups, reproductive freedom, separation of church and state, upholding checks and balances in democracy, providing social security nets for the poor, funding public schools, welcoming lawful immigrants (including refugees and asylum seekers) into our country, funding for science and research, and more.

That does not mean I do not align with some more conservative positions from time to time. But voting is not like choosing a marriage partner; it is a chess move to attain a society that you want.

In recent years, the Republican Party has become a party of white Christian nationalism, which is unfortunate and sad. I want no part of that.