Some Ohio residents are celebrating after a new poll put Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton three points ahead of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. But the race remains statistically tied, and plenty of residents on the r/Ohio subreddit had the same warning for fellow voters: don’t get comfortable just yet.
The latest Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll found Acton with support from 48% of likely Ohio voters compared with 45% for Ramaswamy. The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted Sept. 1–10 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.96 percentage points, meaning Acton’s three-point advantage falls within the poll’s margin of error.
On the Ohio subreddit, the latest polling delighted some residents, who wanted to see Acton with a narrow advantage.
“GO AMY!!!” one Redditor cheered. Another commented, “Vote Amy and vote straight blue ticket.” Someone else urged, “Don’t leave her hanging! Get out and vote!” A fourth pleaded, “Vote like she needs 10 votes to win, and bring 11 of your friends/relatives/coworkers/random people on the street. We need numbers.”
At the same time, several other residents were reluctant to put much faith in polling results before Election Day.
“Good news but please still go out and vote, after the last election I don’t put much stake in polls,” one person cautioned. Another agreed, writing, “The polls that actually matter are the ones on Election Day. I’ll believe it if they report he lost.”
A third exclaimed, “Polls mean nothing! Vote and take friends!” Another added, “We can’t afford complacency. Even if you have to hold your nose to do it, vote for Acton.”
There were also those who took shots at Ramaswamy, with one writing, “I’m surprised he has any support tbh,” and another saying, “He is so unlikable.”
One commenter also pointed to Republicans’ longstanding control of state government, writing, “Republicans have been in control of Ohio for over 20 years. They have done nothing for you.”
Republicans currently control both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly, including a 65-34 majority in the state House, as well as the governor’s office under term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine.
The race has continued to produce developments since the poll was conducted. The political arm of the Ohio State Medical Association endorsed Ramaswamy this week, an attention-grabbing choice given Acton’s background as a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health.
The association said Ramaswamy’s positions more closely align with its legislative priorities. The endorsement also generated pushback from within the medical community, with a pro-Acton group gathering more than 1,000 signatures from Ohio doctors opposing the decision.
The latest poll itself offers a reason for some of the caution running through the comments. While Acton received 48% support compared with Ramaswamy’s 45%, voters gave a very different answer when asked who they expected to win. Sixty-two percent said Ramaswamy, compared with 36% who expected Acton to win.
Still, BGSU describes the race as statistically tied because the three-point difference falls within the survey’s margin of error. The results capture where those likely voters stood when surveyed Sept. 1–10, not how Ohioans will ultimately vote in November.
