FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 19, 2026
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What Ohioans Are Saying: “Acton offers Ohio a public servant”
COLUMBUS, OH– Ohioans are highlighting the “very clear choice” between Dr. Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy. Ohioans describe Dr. Acton as a “real person” and “brilliant” and “compassionate” public servant who had to “struggle out of deep poverty” and “has devoted her campaign to speaking directly to citizens all over our state.” Meanwhile, they see Vivek Ramaswamy as a stark contrast, calling him a “denier” and a “blamer” who’s “wedded to technology — mainly for profit.”
Chillicothe Gazette: Acton and Ramaswamy present different visions
- Ohioans have a very clear choice this year for Governor. Someone who’s struggled to survive and to become a success, or someone born to wealth — with more wealth guaranteed. Someone who had to struggle out of deep poverty, then go to Ohio State — versus someone who simply had to choose which prestigious college to attend — in this case, he went to both Harvard and Yale.
- Amy Acton grew up in Northern Ohio, in deep poverty, sometimes not knowing where her next meal was coming from. For Ramaswamy — an admittedly clever guy from Cincinnati — it was where his next million was coming from. And their beginnings might not be so important, but their paths tell us even more. Acton not only got through college, but through medical school, and on to be appointed by a Republican governor to head Ohio’s Department of Health.
- Acton, a Democrat, was recognized as brilliant and compassionate by Ohio’s Republican governor, DeWine, who appointed her to head the Health Department.
- Ramaswamy has talked about changing Ohio’s regional colleges — like our OU branch — into pods of one main center — like an octopus, I guess. Maybe all run from Columbus — maybe by a Governor who only understands tech and profit. Or, maybe he’s for eliminating small colleges altogether. He’s not clear on this.
- Amy Acton is a real person, who’s lived a tough but successful life — one she built herself, not just inherited from a rich family. If you saw Acton at the Ross County Fair, you could tell she was real, enjoyed the fair — though it was super hot — and looked forward to serving the people of Ohio, from all parts of the state, in all walks of life.
- Anyway, readers, whatever your party, this year’s choice for governor is pretty clear, and easy. Someone who knows what real life is like for most of us, who has experience running a major part of our state government–through a major crisis. Or someone who’s had, as my mom might have said, “Everything handed to him on a silver platter.”
Coshocton County Beacon: Acton offers Ohio a public servant
- We get to choose a new governor for the state of Ohio in 2026. One, a billionaire who states a willingness to spend up to $40 million of his own money to get elected.
- The other choice we have for governor criss-crosses the state taking the opportunity to talk to folks where they live. This individual knows on a personal basis what it was like to grow up impoverished, needing family services to survive. Finding her way to Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine, she graduated with a medical degree. She completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, finishing her residency and training at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, earning a master’s degree in public health.
- In 2019 Gov. Mike DeWine drafted her to be his director of health during the pandemic. You got to know her as Dr. Amy Acton, who along with DeWine would appear daily to talk about the virus, what we knew and what developments were happening.
- Fast forward to 2026, where she is willing to serve the state of Ohio, telling us the hard things again, being willing to serve with the understanding of making hard decisions for our benefit rather than personal gain seems like the elected leader we all deserve.
Toledo Blade: Vivek not a leader for Buckeyes
- Ohio is facing an education crisis. According to U.S. News and World Report, Ohio ranks 29th in education. That is quite a fall from its ranking of fifth best back in 2010. Keep in mind, Republicans have held power in the governor’s office and both chambers at the Statehouse since 2011.
- Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican running for governor, is a denier and a blamer. He denies that public schools have a funding problem even though the Fair School Funding Plan now only allocates 5.7 percent of the needed increase in funds, and there is $1.09 billion going to Ohio’s five private school voucher programs with half of that money going to Education Choice Expansion vouchers. Yes, your money is now funding private school vouchers.
- He blames teachers unions, claiming that abolishing them is the only way to compete with private schools. Only a politician without sufficient knowledge, without a workable plan, and without a backbone would scapegoat teachers unions and their members.
- Ohio needs a leader, not a follower content on keeping the status quo. Send a message on Nov. 3. Vote for Dr. Amy Acton.
Columbus Dispatch: The difference between Acton and Ramaswamy
- Ohioans are sick and tired of the lies and political theater that are the Vivek Ramaswamy playbook.
- Look at Ramaswamy’s low-life and grossly inaccurate TV ads. One recent ad has the temerity to blame Amy Acton for our high electric bills. Just how stupid does Ramaswamy think Ohioans are?
- Amy Acton will not participate in lies or political theater. She has worked tirelessly in a life of public service. Acton has devoted her campaign to speaking directly to citizens all over our state, detailing her policies in a grassroots effort to truly represent all Ohioans.
- Ramaswamy is engaging in lies and political theater in his desperate attempt to buy Ohioans by spending millions on his tawdry and low TV ads. Ohioans are sick and tired of our political space being polluted by tactics like Vivek Ramaswamy’s. Thinking Ohioans applaud Acton for her clear vision representing all Ohioans and her refusal to engage in chaotic politics.
Columbus Dispatch: Vivek Ramaswamy wants to rewrite reality
- Is candidate Vivek Ramaswamy not already embarrassed by his ad blaming Amy Acton for “shutting down” Ohio, having been rebuked by Gov. Mike DeWine, who says that she acted only upon his direction and did the right thing?
- And by his now-known-to-be-deceptive ad featuring a woman on the Republican State Central Committee blaming Acton for her mother’s isolation in a nursing home, when it turns out the mother resided in Kentucky, never in Ohio?
- But now Ramaswamy is up to continued factless ads talking about how poorly Ohio has fared during Acton’s term as governor. Wait, she was never governor of Ohio, not even lieutenant governor! How can Ramaswamy expect us to vote for a man who doesn’t even know that his opponent is not the governor?
- If he wants to blame problems in Ohio on anyone, it is the Republicans, not the Democrats, who have controlled the Ohio Legislature and the governor’s office for many years. He has no ethics, just more deceptive lies.
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