Incumbent Republican governor Mike DeWine won re-election to a second term in a landslide, defeating Democratic nominee Nan Whaley, the former mayor of Dayton, with 62.4% of the vote.

[2] DeWine's 25-point victory marked the continuation of a trend in which every incumbent Republican governor of Ohio since 1994 has won re-election by a double-digit margin.

Incumbent governor Mike DeWine faced backlash from Republicans due to having implemented strict COVID-19 restrictions, such as a statewide stay at home order and mask mandates.

[3][4][5] Due to this, on April 30, 2021, farmer Joe Blystone became the first candidate to announce a primary challenge to DeWine.

Initial polling showed Renacci in the lead; however, his lead soon evaporated, as DeWine attempted to appeal to conservatives angry with his COVID-19 response by attacking President Joe Biden's policies and signing constitutional carry into law, allowing permitless carry of firearms.