Democratic candidate for Ohio governor Amy Acton was the target of an attack by an armed individual who lunged at her during a campaign event at a fair in Cranford on Sunday, according to her campaign. The incident resulted in injuries to multiple people.
Acton and her husband, Eric, were unharmed. Her campaign released a statement thanking first responders for their swift action and expressing gratitude for their safety. "Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured," said Communications Director Addie Bullock. "This kind of violence has no place in Ohio. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another."
The Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman, Christopher Anderson, confirmed to NBC News that the attack took place while Acton was at the county party's tent at the fair.
The campaign of Acton's opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, condemned the attack. "Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence," said Connie Luck, Ramaswamy's communications director. "What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt."
Acton is running against Ramaswamy in an effort to flip the Ohio governor's office.