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Acton visits Columbus-area restaurant on the campaign trail
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX): Just 19 days before Ohioans hit the polls, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton stopped at B&K Smoke House in East Columbus.
Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Amy Acton, a physician who directed Ohio's Department of Health early in the COVID-19 pandemic, faces Republican Vivek Ramaswamy as the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor in 2026.
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Ramaswamy Criticizes Amy Acton Over Ohio Debate Refusal
HomeUS ElectionsRamaswamy Attacks Dem Opponent Amy Acton For Not Debating Him
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Vivek Ramaswamy Trails in Ohio Governor’s Race, Challenges Democratic Rival Over Debate Refusal
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Amy Acton talks affordability, debates in Ohio governor race
Amy Acton believes Ohioans are sick of political vitriol and want elected officials to solve problems.
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Dr. Amy Acton targets cost of living and data center regulation in Ohio run
MONTGOMERY COUNTY: This month, Ohio has seen three visits from the White House pushing for candidates.
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Lantern reporter denied entry for Amy Acton event
Amy Acton, the 2026 Democratic nominee for governor, speaks at a press conference in her hometown of Bexley, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. Credit: Jeremy Pelzer via TNS.
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Amy Acton campaigns at closed-door rally while Vivek Ramaswamy criticizes her at Columbus forum
Ohio State University students attend a campaign rally for Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, at WOSU Public Media on October 14, 2026.
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Ohio governor odds: Acton's chances surge to 68% over Ramaswamy
Democrat Amy Acton is a former Ohio Department of Health director appointed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- February 16, 1966
- Birthplace
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Education
- Liberty High School
Youngstown State University (bachelor's degree)
Northeast Ohio Medical University (MD, 1990)
Ohio State University (MPH)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Amy Leigh Acton was born Amy Leigh Stearns on February 16, 1966, in Youngstown, Ohio, and grew up on the city's north side.
She has said that she lived through neglect and periods of homelessness after her parents divorced, before moving in with her father around the seventh grade, and she later attended Liberty High School.
She worked to pay for her undergraduate studies at Youngstown State University, graduated from Northeast Ohio Medical University with a medical degree in 1990, trained as a resident in both pediatrics and preventive medicine, and added a public health master's from Ohio State University.
Career
Acton held an associate professor of practice post in public health at Ohio State University, worked as a grants manager at the Columbus Foundation and directed Project LOVE.
In February 2019 Governor Mike DeWine named her director of the Ohio Department of Health, and in 2020 she led the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included ordering polling places closed ahead of the March 17, 2020, primary.
She resigned as director on June 11, 2020, and remained a chief health advisor to the administration until August 2020. Returning to the Columbus Foundation, she left it on February 4, 2021, while weighing a 2022 Senate run that she decided against in April 2021.
From 2022 to May 2023 she was president and CEO of RAPID 5, a nonprofit working on park access in Franklin County.
2026 race
Acton, a Democrat, announced her candidacy on January 7, 2025, for the governorship held by Republican Mike DeWine, who is term-limited. She named David Pepper as her candidate for lieutenant governor in January 2026 and faced no opponent in the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026.
Her opponent in the November 3, 2026, general election is Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. On September 6, 2026, an armed man lunged at Acton during a campaign appearance at the Canfield Fair; she was unharmed, and several volunteers had minor injuries.
If elected, she would become Ohio's first elected woman governor and its first Jewish governor.