Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Dr Amy Acton and her husband Eric were targeted by an armed man who lunged at them during a campaign stop at a fair, leaving several other people injured. The incident has alarmed both sides of the closely watched race, in which Acton is challenging Republican former DOGE co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy for the state's governor's office, and has prompted condemnation from across the political divide over the growing threat of violence against political candidates.

The attack took place at a fair in Cranford, southern Ohio, where Acton was visiting the Mahoning County Democratic Party's tent when the armed individual lunged at her, according to county party chairman Christopher Anderson. Acton and her husband appear to have escaped unharmed, with her campaign crediting the "swift and decisive action" of law enforcement and expressing prayers for the recovery of those injured. Communications director Addie Bullock said such violence "has no place in Ohio", while Ramaswamy's campaign, through spokeswoman Connie Luck, called the attack "completely unacceptable" and said candidates should be able to meet voters without fear of threats or violence.