Election 2026 Ohio Governor

People protest outside the Ohio Statehouse on April 9, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio, on the state's shutdown of the economy, and to question the models used by Health Director Dr. Amy Acton to continue her shelter-at-home order during the pandemic.

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The long shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic creeps into the race for Ohio governor

The long shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic creeps into the race for Ohio governor

Democrat Amy Acton is running unopposed in her party’s primary for Ohio governor, but she'll face some steep challenges in the November general election. The physician's most formidable obstacle may be the COVID-19 pandemic. Acton was Ohio’s public health director when the coronavirus hit the United States in early 2020. More than six years later, the orders that Acton signed at the behest of the state’s Republican governor to battle the virus have become a central line of criticism from Republicans. Those orders included closing schools, shuttering businesses, restricting sporting events and even suspending voting during the 2020 primary election.