Dr. Amy Acton, who helped lead Ohio’s early pandemic response, is weighing 2026 run for governor
Former Ohio health director Amy Acton says she's considering a run for governor in 2026
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dr. Amy Acton, the former Ohio health director who became a household name during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, says she is considering a run for governor in 2026.
Acton shared her deliberations with reporters during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday.
“I have experience I just want to give back, and this is a time of my life where I can,” the physician and public health expert told cleveland. com. Acton, a Democrat, said she learned a lot about how the governor's office runs while serving in Republican Gov. Mike DeWine's administration, appearing at his side during televised daily coronavirus briefings in early 2020.
“I always am just really focused on how I can best be of service," she told the USA Today Network Ohio Bureau. "Obviously, I’m not a politician. I used to joke that I’m the Ted Lasso of politics.”
