By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-10-01 02:42:14 | Updated at 2026-10-01 03:57:46
1 hour ago
Ohio lawmakers approved a 90-day suspension of the state’s gasoline tax on Sept. 30—nine days after both major candidates for governor announced they supported the idea.
GOP gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy said he worked with fellow Republicans to craft legislation that passed with support from some Democrats.
“We demonstrated today that our actions speak louder than our words,” Ramaswamy said at a news conference shortly after the vote.
Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton, also supported suspending the gasoline tax—a rare point of agreement during a gubernatorial campaign that has grown increasingly contentious in recent weeks.
Polls show the race is tight even though Republican President Donald Trump won the state by 11 percentage points in 2024. The RealClear Politics average of polls puts Acton ahead of Ramaswamy by 3 percentage points—within the margin of error for most polls, making the contest a statistical tie.
A Marist poll released Sept. 29 revealed an unusual dynamic. While 50 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Acton, compared with 44 percent for Ramaswamy, 53 percent of those polled said they thought Ramaswamy would win, while only 43 percent thought Acton would prevail.
Besides accusing each other of false personal attacks, the two candidates have been at odds over many issues including how to handle data centers and Acton’s refusal to debate Ramaswamy.
Acton applauded passage of the tax-relief measure, but said on X: “Ohioans cannot trust Ramaswamy to take their concerns seriously or make life more affordable.”
Ramaswamy told reporters that the gas-tax proposal’s speedy passage is “a preview of what a new administration will look like” if he wins the Nov. 3 election.
“When I take over in January of next year, we’re going to focus on putting more money in people’s pockets. This is my promise to the people across our state,” he said.
Ohio Republicans, writing on X, couched the measure as “savings you can see,” and said it is part of “a broader effort to lower the costs of everyday life for Ohioans.”
Democratic Rep. Rachel Baker said in a video statement posted on X that she voted for the proposal somewhat reluctantly because the measure fails to address the root cause of the higher gas prices and won’t provide long-term relief.
“I'll always vote for some relief over none,” she wrote in a post on X. “But Ohioans deserve more than a headline.”
Governor’s Signature Likely
Gas-tax relief has been bandied about nationally and in Ohio since at least May, when Trump said he would push Congress to suspend the federal gas tax—an effort that has been unsuccessful thus far.
Ohio’s effort moved forward after lawmakers found a way to make up for the uncollected taxes at the pump.
The legislation redirects $725 million from the state’s general revenue fund to purposes that fuel taxes normally would cover.
Ramaswamy said he expected Gov. Mike DeWine, a fellow Republican, would soon sign the measure into law, putting “several hundred dollars” back into Ohioans’ pockets.
Five months ago, DeWine said he opposed a gas-tax holiday because of concerns that it would decimate funds needed to repair and build highways. However, after hearing that the latest tax-relief plan called for offsetting the loss of the gas-tax revenue, DeWine said at the Ohio Tax Credit Authority monthly meeting on Monday he was more likely to support it, according to Columbus TV station NBC 4.
DeWine cannot seek reelection because of term limits. He has endorsed Ramaswamy because the candidate “knows that Ohio is the best state to build a business, raise a family, and pursue your vision of the American dream.” At the same time, DeWine has defended Acton against Ramaswamy’s criticism of her role as Ohio’s health director during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bipartisan Support Was Needed
After the legislature approved the tax-relief plan, Acton’s campaign issued a statement taking credit for being “the first candidate in this race to propose a gas-tax holiday.”
Acton announced her support for the idea at midday Sept. 21, but gave no specifics. Hours later that same day, Ramaswamy criticized Acton for issuing “hollow statements without offering an iota of policy.”
Writing on X, he called for a 90-day suspension of the state’s 38.5-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline and its 47-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel and other fuels. He also suggested mechanisms for funding it, and for replenishing the state’s “Rainy Day Fund” if needed.
Ramaswamy said he worked with House Speaker Matt Huffman and Senate President Rob McColley—his running mate seeking the lieutenant governor post—to marshal support for the plan.
Within days, Republicans in the Senate and House introduced emergency legislation that will take effect immediately after the governor signs it.
Ohio Republicans hold a 65–34 majority in the House and a 24–9 majority in the Senate. A two-thirds majority was required for passage of this emergency legislation. Thus, a number of Democrats did support the legislation to meet that threshold. The state legislature had not posted official vote tallies as of Wednesday evening.
Huffman, speaking at Ramaswamy’s news conference, estimated that 20 Democrats across both chambers opposed it.
