Former Director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton, a Democrat running against billionaire Trump-endorsed GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s 2026 gubernatorial election, often criticizes Republican policies that favor the wealthiest of Americans.
Acton, who experienced periods of homelessness as a child in Youngstown, Ohio, responded on social media to a new report which revealed that 24 of Ohio’s 88 counties (almost 28 percent) are “without an OB-GYN.”
Acton wrote: “Our rural communities have been left behind as the Statehouse gives away the very funding that could solve these problems in favor of tax breaks for the wealthiest. This is unacceptable, and more importantly — it doesn’t need to be this way. When I’m governor, we’ll turn the ship around and ensure that every Ohio family gets the care they need.”
Our rural communities have been left behind as the Statehouse gives away the very funding that could solve these problems in favor of tax breaks for the wealthiest.
This is unacceptable, and more importantly — it doesn’t need to be this way. When I’m governor, we’ll turn the… https://t.co/UmIQp2sxe6
— Dr. Amy Acton (@amyactonoh) December 1, 2025
Acton has been working to tell voters that she prioritizes everyday needs, like hospitals, healthcare and food security, over intellectual concerns or culture war issues.
Running a campaign that emphasizes her empathy and concern for the living conditions and future prospects of the common Ohioan, Acton’s position as a once-homeless child who became a public health doctor running against a billionaire has — so far — made up for her lack of comparable campaign funding.
Ramaswamy gave Acton another chance to clarify her priorities when the Republican declared at a Turning Point event held at the University of Cincinnati this week that “the best measure of the health of our Republic is the percentage of people who feel free to say what they actually think in public.”
Acton replied: “I think it’s the percentage of people who can afford to pay for healthcare, housing, groceries, and other basic necessities that allow them to live healthy lives.”
I think it’s the percentage of people who can afford to pay for healthcare, housing, groceries, and other basic necessities that allow them to live healthy lives https://t.co/QPMkoO5EKI
— Dr. Amy Acton (@amyactonoh) December 2, 2025
According to a recent poll by the Ohio Federation of Teachers, “When voters are asked their preference in a potential gubernatorial election between Acton and Ramaswamy, Acton leads by 1 point with 46% to Ramaswamy’s 45%.”
Local radio station WVXU responded to the poll and reported on Wednesday: “It is really rather amazing that Acton is in a dead heat with Ramaswamy at this stage. She has raised about $1.5 million for her campaign; Ramaswamy has close to $10 million.”