Republicans are in growing panic over the gubernatorial campaign of Vivek Ramaswamy, President Donald Trump's handpicked candidate for Ohio governor, with party insiders warning that the effort risks total collapse, according to a report by New York magazine.

A Republican strategist involved in national GOP spending decisions described the mood inside the operation in stark terms. "We're at DEFCON 1 as of a month ago, and I think it's only getting worse by the day," the strategist told the publication, adding that the "red flags" began surfacing earlier this year.

The turmoil marks a dramatic reversal for Ramaswamy, the biotech billionaire who founded Roivant Sciences, sought the 2024 Republican presidential nomination before dropping out and endorsing Trump, and was named co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk before stepping away to enter the Ohio race. Trump endorsed him in February 2025, and Ohio Republicans lined up behind him well before the primary. With Gov. Mike DeWine term-limited, Ramaswamy's path to the governor's office appeared clear: the state has not elected a Democratic governor since Ted Strickland won in 2006, and Trump has carried Ohio in each of the last three presidential elections.

But Democrat Amy Acton, a physician who served as director of the Ohio Department of Health under DeWine during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been moving ahead in several polls as Ramaswamy's campaign goes from bad to worse. A Marist poll released Tuesday showed Acton leading 50% to 43% among likely voters, while the RealClearPolitics polling average put her up by about 4 points, beyond the margin of error. The Cook Political Report has shifted the contest from "likely Republican" to a "toss-up," and Republican strategists also worry that Ramaswamy's missteps could keep GOP voters at home.

Per the report, some GOP insiders believe the Trump-picked candidate may have been a mistake that could cost the party a coveted political position in the state. The magazine reported that many regret their choice, with some believing Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost or Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel would have been stronger candidates.

Ramaswamy's campaign hit rock bottom after a disastrous $4 million attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of being a liar.

Court documents have shown that Acton's stepfather was charged with sexually abusing the Democratic candidate when she was 12, and that her mother abandoned her and remained with him until he died.

"It's not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother's husband into a political talking point," Acton's brother said, adding: "After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy's rapist until he died."

The decision to feature Acton's biological mother backfired, drawing criticism from within Ramaswamy's own party as well as from Democrats. Senator Jon Husted, his fellow GOP candidate in Ohio, distanced himself from the commercial, saying, "I would not have run that ad." Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley also criticized Ramaswamy. Vice President JD Vance, however, refused to condemn him, drawing backlash.

Per the report, Ramaswamy's wealth has also worked against him, as rural voters question whether he can relate to the state's working class.

With Trump's approval rating sitting at the worst level of his political career, the endorsement may also have weighed on Ramaswamy.

Trump and Vance have returned to Ohio to boost their ally ahead of the state's May 2026 primary and the November general election, but it remains unclear whether they can persuade voters to back him.