(Headline USA) An armed assailant lunged at the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, Amy Acton, on Sunday during a campaign stop at the Canfield Fair, injuring several people, campaign officials said.
The suspect knocked volunteers to the ground and was arrested with “multiple weapons,” Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman Chris Anderson said in a statement.
Acton, the state’s former public health director, was not injured, but her campaign said multiple people were hurt.
🇺🇸⚡️- The reported suspect in the attempted attack on Amy Acton. https://t.co/LkSHzg7Efc pic.twitter.com/EwJn8KBuXl
— Rerum Novarum // Intel, Breaking News, and Alerts (@officialrnintel) September 6, 2026
Ohio State Highway Patrol and other authorities at the fair quickly responded “when a man tried to forcefully push himself toward Dr. Acton as she was speaking and injured other attendees at the Mahoning County Democrat booth,” Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement.
Acton is facing Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who has parlayed his national name recognition, tech industry connections and alliance with President Donald Trump into a record fundraising haul that he is tapping for advertising spots aimed at the November election.
Ramaswamy’s campaign called the incident Sunday unacceptable.
“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 hope that no one was hurt,” Ramaswamy’s communications director, Connie Luck, said in a statement.
The fairground’s police department referred inquiries to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department, which didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment. The Ohio State Highway Patrol didn’t immediately respond to a request for information.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
