Dr. Amy Acton’s campaign fundraising picked up significantly in the second half of last year as she emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor in the 2026 election, according to numbers she will report to the state later today.

Acton raised nearly $4 million from July 31 through Jan. 27, almost triple the amount she raised during the previous reporting period, according a report her campaign filed on Friday.

The new fundraising report coincided with a period of time when the Democratic candidate field cleared, likely bringing some Democratic donors off the sidelines. First, former Sen. Sherrod Brown announced in August that he’d run for U.S. Senate rather than governor. Then, former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan announced in late August that he too would pass on the race.

Including the new numbers, Acton has raised more than $5.3 million total and has about $3 million in cash heading into 2026. That’s a record-setting amount compared to recent Democratic gubernatorial candidates. But it’s significantly less than the $12.9 million in cash Republican Vivek Ramaswamy reported on Friday in his own filing.

Of note, the two campaigns had a key difference in how they reported their fundraising. Ramaswamy’s disclosure reflects contributions through Dec. 31, while Acton included contributions she received through Jan. 27, nearly an extra month of time. The different accounting method adds $983,000 extra to Acton’s fundraising haul than it would had she cut her report off at the end of the year.

Still, Acton’s stronger fundraising is a sign that Democratic donors view her campaign as worth investing in – which hasn’t always been the case in Ohio, where Republicans increasingly have dominated statewide elections. 

Both major parties have come to believe Democrats will benefit from a strong political environment nationally in the November election, and public polling has shown a competitive race between Acton and Ramaswamy. 

But whether Acton’s stronger fundamentals can translate into a win in a red-leaning state like Ohio remains an open question.

“Ohioans from every corner of this state, including Independents and Republicans, are ready to elect Dr. Amy Acton to be Ohio’s next governor because they know that she will address our affordability crisis, take on Ohio’s corruption and special interests, and fight for a state where everyone can get ahead,” Acton Campaign Manager Philip Stein said in a statement. “This record-breaking haul makes it clear that Ohioans are ready for a change. From now until Election Day, Amy has her foot on the gas and is ready to deliver for Ohio’s working families.” 

Both Acton and Ramaswamy are running to succeed Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who leaves office at the end of the year due to term limits. 

To put today’s fundraising numbers into context, the 2018 Ohio campaign for governor – the last time the race was hotly contested – saw DeWine raise $28 million and Democrat Richard Cordray raise $17 million. DeWine won by nearly 4 percentage points. 

More about the numbers

Acton’s campaign said 70% of the donations it’s received so far have come from Ohio residents, and 96% of her contributions were $100 or less. The $3 million in cash she has on hand is more than the $1.7 million 2022 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Nan Whaley had at the equivalent period of time four years ago, and more than the $2 million 2018 gubernatorial nominee Rich Cordray reported during that year’s election cycle. The $5.3 million total that Acton raised in the most recent campaign finance period is nearly double what Whaley had raised during the equivalent time period ($2.8 million) and more than double ($2 million) that Cordray had raised.

Ramaswamy, meanwhile, filed his report on Friday confirming eye-popping numbers his campaign announced earlier this month.

He reported raising $9.72 million during the second half of 2025, giving him nearly $19.5 million for the year – which smashes state fundraising numbers for a candidate for governor. 

Ramaswamy Campaign Manager Jonathan Ewing said in a statement that Ramaswamy’s average donation size was $76.

“Our opponents will try to downplay this record-breaking fundraising haul, but the numbers speak for themselves,” Ewing said in a statement. “Ohioans know the Acton-Pepper socialist-style agenda would send our state backward, while Vivek is laser-focused on improving the lives of Ohioans: lower costs, bigger paychecks, and better schools. And we’re just getting started: today’s fundraising numbers are just the tip of the iceberg.”

In addition to Ramaswamy’s state fundraising, V PAC: Victors Not Victims, a federal Super PAC formed to benefit Ramaswamy’s campaign for governor, reported raising $18.6 million in 2026. That number includes $1.6 million raised in the second half of the year, as described in a new federal disclosure filed on Friday.

Ramaswamy is also a billionaire who’s capable of winning the fundraising battle just by tapping into his own personal wealth, although he’s yet to do so. 

Meanwhile, Casey Putsch, an auto engineer from the Toledo area, reported to the state on Friday that his Republican campaign for governor raised $46,100. Putsch launched his campaign in December, drawing some broader attention, including on conservative social media, due to his background as a YouTube personality who goes by “Casey the Car Guy.”

The number shows that Putsch, who is challenging Ramaswamy from the right while explicitly attacking Ramaswamy’s background as a child of Indian immigrants, so far lacks viable campaign fundraising ahead of the May 5 primary election.