Armed assailant lunges at Democratic gubernatorial candidate during Ohio fair, campaign says

Multiple people were injured Sunday when an armed assailant lunged at Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton during a campaign stop at a fair in the northeastern portion of the state, according to her campaign.

admin September 7, 2026 2 minutes read

Big picture view:

Acton, who is the Democratic nominee, was not hurt in the incident, which happened at the fair in Canfield. Campaign officials indicated that multiple other individuals did suffer injuries, but did not indicate how many.

According to Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman Chris Anderson, the suspect had knocked down volunteers and was arrested with “multiple weapons.” Neither the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office nor the Ohio State Highway Patrol has given updates on the incident at this time.

Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton, speaks to supporters during a rally on April 28, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

What they’re saying:

Acton’s Communications Director Addie Bullock said the candidate and her husband Eric “are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured.”

“This kind of violence has no place in Ohio,” the statement continued. “Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that puts us against each other.”

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Acton’s opponent in the gubernatorial race, Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, described what happened as unacceptable.

“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” Ramaswamy’s communication director, Connie Luck, said. “What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt.”