Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, was the target of an attack on Sunday during a campaign stop at the Canfield Fair, according to campaign officials. Several people were injured when an armed assailant lunged at Acton, though she was not harmed.
The suspect knocked volunteers to the ground before being arrested and was "discovered to have weapons," said Chris Anderson, chairperson of the Mahoning County Democratic party, in a statement. Acton was not injured, but campaign officials confirmed that multiple people were hurt during the incident.
Campaign Responds to Violence
Addie Bullock, communications director for the Acton campaign, praised law enforcement's response. "She is grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured. 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," Bullock said.
A photo shared on social media by a fair attendee after the incident showed Acton checking on one of the injured individuals. Anderson condemned the attack, stating, "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."
Political Reactions and Context
Acton is running against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who has leveraged his national recognition, tech industry ties, and alliance with Donald Trump to build a record fundraising haul for advertising in the November election. Ramaswamy's campaign also responded to the incident. "Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt," said Connie Luck, Ramaswamy's communications director, in a statement on Sunday.
Abdul El-Sayad, Michigan's Democratic US Senate candidate, also denounced the attack. "There's no place for political violence in America," El-Sayad said in a social media post. "Our prayers go out to Dr. Acton and her team, and we hope that this moment is yet another wake up call regarding how important it is to make sure that democracy is a process by which we address our political differences peacefully."
Investigation Underway
The fairground's police department referred inquiries to the Mahoning County sheriff's department, which did not immediately return a message seeking comment. The Ohio state highway patrol also did not immediately respond to a request for information.
