FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2026
CONTACT:[email protected]
To: Interested Parties
From: Phillip Stein, Campaign Manager, Acton for Governor
Date: May 7th, 2026
Re: State of the Race Memo: Dr. Acton’s Pathway to Victory
As we head into the general election, Dr. Amy Acton’s story of overcoming struggle, her commitment to addressing our affordability crisis and her unique bipartisan credentials have her well positioned to beat billionaire scam artist Vivek Ramaswamy – a flawed candidate who doesn’t understand what Ohioans are going through, would raise costs for working families, and can’t be trusted to fight for us.
Dr. Amy Acton is uniquely qualified to fight for everyday Ohioans and is building historic support, having raised more money at this point in the calendar than any Democratic candidate for governor in the state’s history.
Dr. Acton understands the struggle that so many Ohioans are facing right now because she’s lived it herself. She overcame a difficult childhood where she experienced neglect and worried whether food would be on the table. Now she’s running for governor to fight for Ohio’s working families.
Dr. Acton heads into the general election with historic grassroots support and record breaking fundraising numbers. Dr. Acton has received more than 195,000 donations at an average of just $29 and raised more than $10.4 million to date, the most ever raised at this point in the calendar by a Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio history.
We outraised Vivek Ramaswamy last reporting period and received more than twice as many donations from Ohio – a clear sign that Ohioans across the state are ready for change.
Vivek Ramaswamy is a uniquely flawed candidate who has repeatedly demonstrated that he doesn’t understand the struggles Ohioans are facing and can’t be trusted to fight for us.
At a time when working families are struggling to make ends meet, Ramaswamy is treating Ohio like a flyover state and not even pretending to care about what Ohioans are going through. Ramaswamy called Medicaid and Medicare, programs that help Ohioans afford healthcare, a “mistake.” He tells Ohioans that affordability is a “buzzword.” While high gas prices skyrocket across Ohio, Ramaswamy’s message to drivers is that it could always be worse. Spoiler alert: it’s gotten worse.
Ohioans can’t trust a single word Ramaswamy says. He’s only out for himself and working families would pay the price for his extreme scams while he lines his pockets. Recent reporting revealed Ramaswamy’s company made $2.2 billion in profit from the COVID-19 vaccine. His company also proposed creating a national COVID-19 registry and wanted to segregate Americans who had immunity from those who did not.
It’s no secret that Ramaswamy looks down on Ohio and the people here. He called Ohioans lazy and mediocre in a social media rant and told working families his solution to the rising cost of living was to just earn more money. A recently unearthed clip even showed him saying Ohio is “not the best” state.
Ramaswamy refuses to stand up for victims of Jeffrey Epstein and mocked sexual assault survivors at a campaign rally. During his failed presidential campaign, Vivek Ramaswamy was the “first and most vocal proponent” of releasing the Epstein files. Now, he’s gone silent and the super PAC from his presidential campaign shut down rather than return $100,000 from a known Epstein associate.
Polling shows a tight race with Dr. Acton’s strength growing by the day despite Vivek Ramaswamy spending more than $11 million on ads.
Recent polls from Bowling Green State University and Quantus show Dr. Acton is locked in a competitive race with Ramaswamy despite his campaign spending millions of dollars on TV.
She has critical support not only from Democrats, but also from Independents and moderates. Dr. Acton’s one-of-a-kind bipartisan credentials from her time working in Governor Mike DeWine’s administration allow her to be a unifying force across the state. Polling shows her career as a doctor credentials her as a trusted messenger when compared with a billionaire Washington insider like Ramaswamy.
In a strong sign of support for Dr. Acton, we saw the highest Democratic turnout in the primary since 2006 – and Dr. Acton received more votes in the Democratic primary than any other Democratic gubernatorial candidate, including incumbents, since 1942.
Meanwhile, 1 in 5 Republicans didn’t vote for Vivek Ramaswamy after he outraised his opponent 400 to 1 and outspent him by over $19.5 million.
The path forward is clear: With historic fundraising and grassroots support, on-the-ground enthusiasm, and strong primary election turnout, it’s clear that Ohioans are ready for change and fired up to elect Dr. Amy Acton as Ohio’s next governor. They know she is the only candidate in this race who will build a state where all Ohioans can not just get by, but thrive.
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