Incumbent Republican governor John Kasich was term-limited and could not seek re-election for a third consecutive term.

Republicans nominated Ohio Attorney General and former U.S. senator Mike DeWine, while Democrats nominated former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director and former Ohio attorney general Richard Cordray.

Despite Cordray's loss, he became the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate to win Cincinnati's Hamilton County since Dick Celeste in 1982.

With Democratic senator Sherrod Brown winning re-election in the same year, this was the first election since 1974 in which Ohio simultaneously voted for a gubernatorial nominee and a U.S. Senate nominee of opposite parties.

DeWine and Husted took office on January 14, 2019. Notable individuals U.S. representatives State senators State representatives County parties State parties Organizations Newspapers Organizations Notable individuals U.S. senators Governors Lieutenant governors Statewide officials Notable individuals State senators State representatives County Parties Party leaders Organizations U.S. senators U.S. representatives Governors State representatives Mayors City Council members County officials Labor unions Organizations Notable individuals Newspapers Organizations Governors U.S. representatives State senators County officials City Council members Notable individuals Newspapers Political organizations Labor unions Notable individuals Governors State representatives Mayors Notable individuals Labor unions Organizations U.S. representatives Labor unions Mayors City Council members County officials Labor unions Former federal officials U.S. senators U.S. representatives Governors State representatives Mayors City Council members County officials Notable individuals Labor unions Organizations Federal officials Governors U.S. senators U.S. representatives State senators State representatives Notable individuals Labor unions Organizations Newspapers [199] with DeWine and Kucinich with DeWine and Pillich with Jon Husted with generic Republican and Democrat DeWine won 12 of 16 congressional districts.