POLITICS

Ohio candidates unveil running mates ahead of 2026

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Media Bias Meter

Sources: 11

Left 9%

Center 82%

Right 9%

Sources: 11

60-Second Summary

COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Wednesday, Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton selected former Ohio Democratic Party chair and Cincinnati official David Pepper as her running mate, while Republican Vivek Ramaswamy named Ohio Senate President Rob McColley. Acton characterized Pepper as a pragmatic local problem-solver who led foreclosure prevention and tax initiatives; Ramaswamy said McColley brings legislative experience and conservative leadership. Acton and Pepper planned a joint appearance at a Columbus-area affordability roundtable; Ramaswamy introduced McColley at an evening event in Cleveland. Both campaigns framed the picks as complements to outsider gubernatorial bids. Based on 11 articles reviewed and supporting research and analysis.

About this summary

This 60-second summary was prepared by the JQJO editorial team after reviewing 11 original reports from Daily Mail Online, WOUB Public Media, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, WEWS, WCPO, https://www.cleveland19.com, 2 News Nevada, WKYC 3 Cleveland, Cleveland, http://www.wtol.com and FOX19 WXIX TV.

Timeline of Events

Pepper served in Cincinnati local government and later chaired the Ohio Democratic Party.
McColley was first elected to the Ohio House in 2014 and appointed to the Ohio Senate in December 2017.
On Wednesday this week Acton announced David Pepper as her running mate at a Columbus-area event.
Later that day Ramaswamy introduced Rob McColley at an event in Cleveland.
Both campaigns framed the selections as adding governance credibility to outsider gubernatorial bids for 2026.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 11
Right Leaning:: 1
Left Leaning:: 1
Neutral:: 9

Who Benefited

Both gubernatorial campaigns benefited by selecting running mates who provide governing credibility and help balance outsider narratives, with Acton emphasizing local governance and anti-corruption and Ramaswamy emphasizing legislative experience.

Who Impacted

Ohio voters faced a campaign opening that prioritized strategic messaging and ticket balance over immediate detailed policy proposals, potentially delaying deeper policy scrutiny during early campaign stages.

Expert Opinion

After reading and researching latest news.... Both gubernatorial frontrunners chose experienced political operatives as running mates to complement outsider campaigns; Acton selected David Pepper to emphasize affordability and anti-corruption, while Ramaswamy selected Rob McColley to provide legislative experience and conservative governance capacity heading into the 2026 Ohio race this fall.

Media Bias