Armed person confronts Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton at event, campaign says

An armed person “lunged” at Amy Acton, Ohio’s Democratic nominee for governor, and injured several people at a fair, a campaign spokesperson said Sunday.

Acton and her husband, Eric, “are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured,” said the spokesperson, Addie Bullock.

“This kind of violence has no place in Ohio,” Bullock added. “Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another.”

The incident occurred Sunday afternoon while Acton visited the annual Canfield Fair in Mahoning County, near Youngstown. Acton, a physician, was not hurt, and remained on site to attend to one of the people injured, according to a photo an attendee shared with NBC News.

The extent of injuries to others was not immediately known.

Canfield police did not have immediate information about the incident or a suspect when reached by NBC News. The Ohio State Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for information.

Christopher Anderson, chair of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, said the incident happened while Acton was at the county party’s tent.

“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,” Anderson wrote on Facebook. “MCDP is grateful for the quick response by our local law enforcement officials as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol providing Dr. Acton security.”

Acton was Ohio’s health director under term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, in the early days of the Covid pandemic. She faces Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman who ran for president in 2024, in the November general election to determine DeWine’s successor. Polls have indicated a close race.

Ramaswamy also had been scheduled to visit the fair Sunday afternoon.

“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck said in an emailed statement. “What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope … that no one was hurt.”

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