Incident at Canfield Fair Involves Armed Individual and Ohio Gubernatorial Candidate Amy Acton

<p>An armed individual lunged at Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and injured multiple people on September 6, 2026, at the Canfield Fair, according to her campaign.</p><p>Acton campaign communications director Addie Bullock stated, "While attending the Canfield Fair, an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people."</p><p>She added, "Dr. Acton and 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. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another."</p><p>Ohio Governor Mike DeWine later confirmed that Acton was not hurt and mentioned that he and first lady Fran DeWine spoke with her following the incident. DeWine stated, "Fran and I are thankful Dr. Amy Acton was not hurt, and we send our thoughts to those who were injured. We spoke to Dr. Acton this afternoon and she said to share with Ohioans that she is ok."</p><p>DeWine explained that a man "tried to forcefully push himself toward Dr. Acton" while she was speaking, injuring other attendees at the Mahoning County Democratic booth. He expressed gratitude for the quick response of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement present at the Canfield Fair.</p><p>DeWine remarked, "Violence or the threat of violence at political or public events is always unacceptable. This case is now in the hands of law enforcement and will be investigated thoroughly."</p><p>Officials have not identified the man involved or confirmed whether he has been arrested. While Acton’s campaign described him as armed, DeWine did not mention a weapon. The conditions of those injured remain unclear.</p><p>The motivation behind the confrontation and the status of any arrests have not been disclosed.</p><p>The incident occurred as Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that candidates and public figures continue to face threats as the campaign season intensifies. Mullin stated, "You’re never safe in the public eye" during an interview.</p><p>Mullin discussed the ongoing threats to elected officials and emphasized the need to reduce political tensions, stating, "The threats to our elected officials, they don’t go away. We’ve got to bring down the temperature, but the temperature is not going to go down on itself."</p><p>He highlighted the importance of accepting political disagreements while drawing a line against violence, stating, "When you cross a line and say that that different opinion needs to be silenced — it needs to be silenced through violence — that’s where Homeland comes into place."</p><p>Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and his running mate, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, condemned the incident at the Canfield Fair. Ramaswamy’s campaign communications director Connie Luck stated, "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 that no one was hurt."</p><p>Acton and Ramaswamy are competing in the November election to replace term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine. Acton, a physician, gained prominence while serving as director of the Ohio Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, appearing alongside DeWine during public briefings. Her handling of the pandemic has become a significant issue in the campaign, with Ramaswamy and other Republicans criticizing her actions while her campaign defends them as necessary for public health.</p><p>Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office for additional information.</p>