Unrelated to this post, but one of my favorite parts of Copenhagen is this:
Bikes go on the left, walkers on the right
The newer areas of the city (and Copenhagen is booming- there are a lot of newer areas) are designed around 5 story apartment buildings. It’s very spare Scandinavian design, which I love, but it also creates this interconnected series of bike and walking paths that function as an inner ring transportation system. So, one can take a street route, where there are stores and the metro and buses or one can bike and walk on these interior off-street paths that intersect and cross canals. It’s wonderful for children – they can essentially take a “back” (car-free) route to and from school and home and out and about.
We could never do it in the US because no one is the boss of us and individual developers would never be required to actually do anything for a common good or city or residents, but it’s just lovely. At night they light up the canal bridges that criss cross the paths and everyone is out. Renters and owners! Everyone gets this benefit! Amazing.
Gloomy day in Copenhagen today so let’s talk about US politics.
Columbus, Ohio – The race for Ohio governor is intensifying, with recent forecasts and polling data indicating a narrowing gap between Democratic candidate Amy Acton and Republican frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy. Two prominent election forecasters, The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, have both adjusted their ratings for the Ohio gubernatorial election, moving it from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican” on Thursday, March 21, 2026. This shift reflects growing confidence in Acton’s ability to mount a serious challenge to Ramaswamy.
The revised outlooks come on the heels of two recent polls that show Acton with a lead over Ramaswamy. A Quantus Insights poll, released March 14, 2026, found Acton with a narrow one-point advantage, garnering 46% support compared to Ramaswamy’s 45%. Earlier, in February, a poll conducted by EMC Research revealed a more substantial lead for Acton, with 53% of likely voters supporting her candidacy versus 43% for Ramaswamy.
Analysts at The Cook Political Report attribute the change in forecast, in part, to perceived “baggage” surrounding Ramaswamy’s campaign. Although, they as well acknowledge Ohio’s historical tendency to favor Republican candidates in statewide elections and Ramaswamy’s significant financial resources. The report suggests Acton will face an uphill battle in matching Ramaswamy’s spending in the coming months.
Sabato’s Crystal Ball, in its analysis, highlighted Ohio’s tradition of electing more established, mainstream Republicans. Figures like current Governor Mike DeWine and former governors George Voinovich, Bob Taft, and John Kasich, have consistently won reelection by substantial margins. The analysis contrasts Ramaswamy with these figures, drawing parallels to more recent Republican Senate candidates in Ohio, JD Vance and Bernie Moreno, who underperformed expectations in statewide races
I’m on about Dr. Amy Acton again because I don’t get the sense that you-all are really getting how positive this is. I’m going to start collaring people on the street and demanding they admit Acton is doing well.
Understandable! I know why you’re skeptical. Ohio went deep Red during my tenure there as a Party committee woman, delegate to both the state and national conventions and activist. I’ll accept a small role in how we got here, but honestly, it isn’t all my fault. 6 million voters went from electing Democrats about 40% of the time to never electing Democrats.
My own rural, white working class county in Ohio went from 60/40 R to 75/25 R over four years. They didn’t get any MORE racist than they ever were (which was plenty racist, true!) yet we lost a ton of voters.
Here’s the thing:
But the real problems for Democrats came in the urban counties. Voter turnout was down in Cleveland's Cuyahoga County 5.3 percentage points compared to 2020, down 4.7 in Columbus' Franklin County, down 3.5 in Cincinnati's Hamilton County and down 2.1 in Akron's Summit County.
In fact, the only county that Harris won that increased voter turnout since 2020 was Athens County, home of Ohio University.
Acton is NOT running a base-centered campaign. I’ve been to four of her events and the plan is to flip 1 in 5 Trump voters. She goes on and on about how Mike DeWine (who is a complete fucking hack with no core) is a great statesman – annoying but might be appealing to swingy suburban voters.
I think part of why she’s being received so well is she’s genuine. She’s a genuine moderate. Unlike me, she actually DOES want GOP voters in our tent. She also, IMO, has this great sense for normies because she IS a normie. She isn’t carrying a big load of past losses, betrayals, grievance and resentment.
I will be fully moved to Michigan by November so will be voting for Michigan governor and not Ohio, but I still think Acton’s come from behind is exciting and positive news. I love a long shot.
She’ll still need to do lots of outreach to African American communities in Ohio. They are absolutely essential to any Democratic win in Ohio and important players in Ohio politics in their own right, but she still has time to really focus there.
