An armed assailant lunged at Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, on Sunday during a campaign stop at the Canfield Fair, injuring several people, campaign officials stated. The suspect knocked volunteers to the ground and was arrested with "multiple weapons," according to Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman Chris Anderson.
Acton was not injured in the incident, but campaign officials confirmed that multiple individuals sustained injuries. "Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another," said Addie Bullock, communications director for Acton's campaign, adding that Acton is "grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured."
Acton is campaigning against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy's campaign also denounced the violence, with communications director Connie Luck stating, "Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope hope that no one was hurt."
The fairground's police department referred inquiries to the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department. The Ohio State Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to requests for information.