An armed man attacked Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio Amy Acton, injuring multiple people.
Acton and her husband were left uninjured after an ‘armed individual lunged’ at her while attending a fair in Canfield in the southern part of the state, her campaign said.
The candidate is running against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to try and flip the Ohio state governor’s office.
Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman Christopher Anderson said Acton was at the county party’s tent at the fair when the man lunged at her. He added that the suspect has been arrested.
During the attack, the suspect knocked volunteers to the ground before being taken into custody.
‘Let me be clear – The Mahoning County Democratic Party abhors political violence in all forms,’ Anderson wrote on Facebook.
‘What happened at our tent today during today’s visit from Dr. Acton is reprehensible and should be condemned by leaders on all sides of the aisle.’
Acton and her husband Eric appear to have been left unharmed, WKBN reported, as her campaign thanked first responders in a statement.
An armed man lunged at Democrat candidate for governor of Ohio Amy Acton (pictured) and her husband, injuring multiple people
‘Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured,’ Communications Director Addie Bullock said.
‘This kind of violence has no place in Ohio. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another.’
The Ramaswamy campaign – who had been scheduled to attend the fair as well on Sunday – condemned the attack when reached by The Daily Mail on Sunday.
‘Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,’ said Connie Luck, Ramaswamy’s communications director.
‘What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Canfield Police Department, Ohio State Troopers and the Acton campaign for further details.
Acton is the former health director for the state of Ohio under Republican Governor Mike DeWine in 2019 and 2020 and led the state’s COVID response.
Her high public profile and robust early fundraising have made Democrats hopeful of winning back the governor’s office for the first time since 2006.
Acton became a household name across Ohio in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as she stood alongside Mike DeWine during daily coronavirus broadcasts.
Her comforting presence during the crisis made her a beloved figure with many Ohioans.
Her campaign also has highlighted her rough childhood, overcoming poverty, homelessness and sexual abuse while growing up in Youngstown.
But the administration’s aggressive pandemic actions — including shuttering businesses, closing schools and canceling an election — also earned Acton plenty of enemies and made her the occasional target of people upset about the policies, with some armed protesters showing up outside her home.
Ohio has not elected a Democratic governor since 2006.
This is a developing story.
