CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOWO) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is highlighting what he describes as historic economic gains across the state, while the candidates seeking to replace him are offering competing ideas about how Ohio should build on that growth.

DeWine began a statewide tour Monday in Cleveland celebrating Ohio’s selection as CNBC’s 2026 “Top State for Business.” The governor appeared with Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik and Team NEO CEO and former state Sen. Matt Dolan.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose also credited the state’s business climate for the CNBC ranking, saying his office’s business-filing system contributed to Ohio’s No. 1 designation. LaRose’s office reported that more than 107,000 new businesses had filed with the state during the first half of 2026, putting Ohio on pace for a record year of business creation.

At the Cleveland event, DeWine pointed to employment as a key measure of the state’s economic performance.

“We have more jobs filled in the state of Ohio today than we’ve ever had in our entire history,” DeWine said, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.

He also pointed to Ohio’s low unemployment rate and what he described as a historic high in the number of workers ages 24 through 55 who are employed.

“While we are proud of these accomplishments, we will continue to work together to make sure every Ohioan can fulfill their God-given potential,” DeWine said.

The governor’s comments come as Ohio voters prepare to choose his successor in November.

The state’s certified 2026 primary ballot included Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, Democrat Amy Acton and Libertarian Don Kissick among the candidates seeking the governor’s office. The Ohio Secretary of State’s office lists the gubernatorial candidates as joint tickets with their respective lieutenant governor candidates.

The candidates are presenting notably different approaches to economic policy.

Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee, has proposed eventually eliminating Ohio’s individual income tax. He argues that lowering the tax burden would make the state more attractive to companies deciding where to invest and create jobs.

“We are going to deliver an economic revival of a scale this state has never seen,” Ramaswamy said at an event where the Ohio Chamber of Commerce endorsed his campaign, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.

Ramaswamy has said eliminating the state income tax would give businesses additional incentive to invest in Ohio rather than competing states.

His approach puts him at odds with DeWine on the question of how much further Ohio should reduce its income tax.

DeWine reiterated Monday that he does not believe eliminating the income tax should be the focus of the state’s economic-development strategy.

“We’ve cut income tax for four straight budgets,” DeWine said.

The governor said Ohio’s economic performance cannot be attributed simply to reductions in the income tax rate. He pointed instead to the availability of workers, infrastructure and water as factors companies consider when deciding where to locate or expand.

“No one ever comes to us when we’re sitting down and talking to a CEO and says, ‘You know, we can’t come to your state because your income tax is too high,'” DeWine said.

The governor said he believes Ohio has already addressed income-tax concerns that may have influenced business decisions 15 or 20 years ago.

Ramaswamy has also proposed changes to the way state government interacts with businesses.

He has called for reducing what he describes as government bloat and creating a cabinet-level Department of Customer Service that would report directly to the governor.

The proposed department would give business leaders and workers a direct avenue to raise concerns about state government operations, including permitting delays.

Ramaswamy said the goal would be to make government move faster and reduce the time businesses spend waiting for permits and other approvals.

Democratic candidate Amy Acton is emphasizing a different measure of economic success, focusing on affordability and the economic circumstances facing working families.

Acton has argued that Ohio needs to encourage businesses to invest in the state while also ensuring that communities and residents benefit from that development.

She has particularly highlighted data-center development, an increasingly important part of Ohio’s economy but one that can bring significant demands for electricity, water and infrastructure.

“We are absolutely open, but we’re not for said,” Acton said this summer when discussing data centers, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. “We have conditions.”

Acton has also called for expanded workforce-development programs and increased investment in infrastructure, including roads and broadband.

“I will fight for good jobs and workforce training, and I am going to be a champion for small businesses in Ohio,” she said.

Her campaign has placed affordability at the center of its economic message, arguing that economic growth should translate into tangible improvements in the lives of Ohio families rather than primarily benefiting large corporations.

“Ohioans need somebody fighting for them, not the self-funding billionaires and special interests,” Acton said.

Libertarian candidate Don Kissick and his running mate, James Mills, are also supporting a greater emphasis on small businesses, but from a different policy perspective.

Mills said Ohio should measure economic success not only by the number of large corporations attracted to the state but also by whether residents can start and sustain their own businesses.

“Our measure of success shouldn’t simply be how many large corporations we can attract,” Mills said Monday. “It should be how easy it is for Ohioans to start, grow, and sustain businesses of their own.”

The Libertarian ticket is proposing a more interconnected small-business system involving entrepreneurs, local financial institutions, chambers of commerce, business incubators, universities and other organizations.

Mills said the approach would shift more economic-development resources toward locally owned businesses rather than large corporate projects receiving substantial tax incentives or subsidies.

The campaign also supports simplifying licensing and regulatory requirements for small businesses.

“That’s how we create stronger communities, more opportunity and ultimately less poverty: build wealth from the ground up and keep more of it circulating in Ohio communities,” Mills said.

The competing proposals come as Ohio promotes itself as a national destination for business investment.

The state’s No. 1 ranking in CNBC’s 2026 America’s Top States for Business rankings has become a central talking point for DeWine and other state officials.

The Ohio Secretary of State’s office said its business filing process was one factor in the ranking and highlighted the more than 107,000 new business filings recorded during the first six months of 2026.

But the state’s economic performance is likely to remain a major issue in the governor’s race because the candidates disagree over what should come next.

Ramaswamy is calling for further tax reductions and changes to state government operations.

Acton is focusing on affordability, workforce development, infrastructure and conditions surrounding major business investments.

Kissick and Mills are emphasizing small businesses and locally generated wealth.

DeWine, meanwhile, is defending the economic strategy pursued during his administration and arguing that Ohio’s progress is the result of more than tax policy.

The governor’s office is expected to continue promoting the state’s business performance as DeWine approaches the final months of his second term.

The Ohio Capital Journal reports that the Cleveland event is the first stop on DeWine’s tour highlighting the state’s business successes.

For Ohio voters, the economic debate now extends beyond whether the state is growing. The candidates are offering different answers to the question of who should benefit from that growth and what state policies should be used to sustain it.

The Ohio Secretary of State’s office confirms that the 2026 governor’s race is between the certified party nominees and their lieutenant governor running mates following the May primary.

This story does not compare, assess, rank or recommend any candidate or political party; the candidate policy descriptions above are reported positions attributed to the Ohio Capital Journal and official Ohio election records.