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Ohio Governor Race 2026: Ad Spending Gap Hits Columbus
How campaign ad spending differences between Ramaswamy and Acton are reshaping what Columbus voters see about the 2026 Ohio governor race.
How we reported this
A July 21, 2026 Ohio Capital Journal report detailed that Vivek Ramaswamy and a supportive PAC spent nearly $9 million on ads over six weeks, while Amy Acton spent about $100,000 during the same stretch.
Recent Ad Spending Details
The report broke down the Ramaswamy side spending as more than $5 million on traditional TV ads and about $1.9 million on streaming ads. Acton’s outlays stayed focused on digital ads and reached nearly $100,000.
Why the Gap Matters Locally
Columbus residents rely on television, streaming services and online platforms to learn about state-level candidates whose decisions affect city services, schools and roads. When one campaign can flood those channels while the other cannot, the volume of messages reaching households in neighborhoods across Franklin County shifts noticeably.
Campaign Finance Context
NBC4 Columbus reported that in the first half of 2026 Ramaswamy spent $21.2 million overall and Acton spent $5.5 million, with both campaigns directing most funds to advertising and public relations. State finance records also showed Ramaswamy’s campaign spent $7.1 million in 2025 compared with Acton’s $2.2 million that year.
Community Reach in Columbus
The concentration of television and streaming buys means residents who follow local news on those formats see repeated messages from one side. Digital-only efforts reach a narrower slice of viewers who actively search or scroll. This pattern can leave some Columbus households with uneven exposure to candidate positions on issues that directly touch daily life in the city.
Voters who want to track the numbers themselves can review the public campaign finance filings that state officials maintain. Those records allow residents to compare totals and categories without relying solely on the ads that appear on their screens.