<p>Vice President JD Vance made a light-hearted remark on Friday regarding a potential meeting with Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton at a bar, referencing allegations made by the Republican Party about her drinking habits.</p>
<p>“I did promise Amy that I would meet her at a bar later,” Vance told attendees at an Ohio rally for the midterm elections. “I understand that she’s into that sort of thing, so I’m going to try to get to know her a little bit better.”</p>
<p>The Ohio Republican Party has circulated unverified claims suggesting that Acton has a drinking problem, which she has denied. These allegations have been featured in attack ads funded by her opponent, Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.</p>
<p>The ads reference a police report from August 2019, which details a domestic dispute at Acton’s home where she acknowledged consuming alcohol while taking prescription medication for migraines. The report indicates that the incident involved a conflict with her husband.</p>
<p>Additionally, conservative activist Laura Loomer claimed that a Democratic strategist informed her that Acton appeared to be intoxicated during a campaign event. Loomer also highlighted a traffic violation from 1993 to question Acton’s past behavior.</p>
<p>Acton responded to the allegations, stating, “I do not have a drug problem. I have never had an alcohol problem. I have never ever had that sort of issue, and I think it’s horrible to be demonizing people because so many of our family members do.”</p>
<p>Ramaswamy has accused Acton of concealing her past, labeling her a “chronic liar.” During the rally, Vance referred to her as a “crazy person,” despite the two having never met.</p>
<p>“I don’t know that much about her,” Vance said, “other than that she was the woman that wanted to mask all of our 2-year-olds and keep them from going to school. That’s the only thing I really remember about her.”</p>
<p>Acton previously served as the director of the Ohio Department of Health from 2019 to 2020, a period that coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she implemented strict lockdown and mask mandates.</p>
<p>“It was Amy who closed your kids’ schools, who banned you from going to church,” Vance stated. “It was Amy who stole precious moments from your family and loved ones, who stole birthdays, graduations, and funerals. It was Amy who forced mandate after mandate after mandate on the great state of Ohio.”</p>
<p>The vice president was in Lima, Ohio, to campaign for Ramaswamy and Senator Jon Husted (R-OH), who is facing a challenge from former Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown.</p>
<p>“Vote for Vivek,” Vance urged Ohio Republicans. “Vote to keep Ohio strong. Vote to keep us prosperous, and vote to keep us free.”</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is also scheduled to visit Ohio to support Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 election, with a rally planned in Youngstown, Ohio, following a previous event in Vandalia, Ohio.</p>