Amy Acton

Amy Acton's public standing was forged in 2020, when the physician running Ohio's Department of Health became the most visible face of the state's COVID-19 response, likened by CNN to a straight-talking Anthony Fauci while protesters gathered outside her home. That polarized memory is both her premium and her discount. She won a Profile in Courage Award, reported raising more than $5.3 million through late January 2026, and ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination with former state party chair David Pepper as her running mate. She has also tacked to the center, backing Issue 3's photo-ID amendment and opposing transgender girls in girls' sports, positions that drew criticism from the left. In September a man carrying two handguns rushed toward her at the Canfield Fair and was detained, an encounter her campaign described as lunging at her; she was unhurt. Her refusal to debate Vivek Ramaswamy, citing his attack ads, adds a variable. She would be the first woman elected governor of Ohio, where Democrats have not won a governor's race since 2006.