Amy Acton, the first woman to serve as director of the Ohio Department of Health who led the state’s pandemic efforts in 2020, will run for Ohio’s highest executive office.
Acton officially filed for the 2026 governor’s race Tuesday afternoon, her team announced in a news release, with an official website that went online shortly after.
“I refuse to look away from Ohioans who are struggling while self-serving politicians and special interests take our state in the wrong direction,” Acton said in the news release. “It’s time to give power back to the people and our communities. It’s time for a change."
Acton was appointed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to head the Department of Health in February 2019, as the final position he hadn't filled in his cabinet. She resigned from that post in June 2020, which she has said came after concerns about Republican-backed health orders and the threats she and her family were receiving from opponents of the state's COVID policies. Since then Acton has worked for numerous nonprofits and has been visible in Democratic politics. Democrats in Ohio have faced bruising statewide elections in recent cycles, putting Acton at an immediate disadvantage—though no other Democrats have solidified possible primary bids yet.
She attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last summer, where she first said she’d learned a lot about being governor and was considering a run for the office in 2026.
Acton and Gov. Mike DeWine held regular briefings together during the early days of the pandemic, announcing lockdowns and promoting safety measures. The pandemic briefings were initially received warmly but later brought out protestors and violent threats.
Lawmakers across the aisle still heavily criticize her, and have sought to limit the authority of public health orders issued by the governor and others.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Attorney General Dave Yost and former presidential candidate and Trump appointee Vivek Ramaswamy are among the primary possibilities for the GOP, but who DeWine appoints to outgoing Sen. and incoming Vice President JD Vance’s seat could cull that field slightly.
