Democrat Amy Acton, a physician and former Ohio Department of Health director, is running for governor with David Pepper in the Nov. 3, 2026, election.
The secretary of state’s ballot directive lists three printed tickets: Democrats Amy Acton and David Pepper, Republicans Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert A. McColley, and Libertarians Don Kissick and James L. Mills. Governor and lieutenant governor run together; voters choose a ticket. The county’s current certified list also includes qualified write-in tickets.
Experience and public service
Acton’s campaign biography says she grew up in Youngstown and trained in pediatrics and preventive medicine. Her career included directing Project L.O.V.E., teaching at Ohio State University and working at the Columbus Foundation.
Gov. Mike DeWine appointed her health director in 2019. After leaving his administration, she returned to the Columbus Foundation and later helped launch the regional parks initiative Rapid 5, according to her campaign.
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s 2021 annual report identifies Acton as one of seven recipients of its special COVID Courage Awards for pandemic service.
On the issues
The following are proposals from the Acton-Pepper campaign’s current platform.
Family costs: The campaign’s tax plan includes an earned income credit and annual child credits of $1,000 for children ages 0–6 and $500 for ages 7–18 for families earning up to $85,000. Those figures are proposed benefits, not current entitlements.
Education: The education platform supports the Fair School Funding Plan, tighter oversight of private-school vouchers, investment in literacy and math, workforce training, and free school breakfast and lunch.
Health care: The health plan proposes simpler Medicaid enrollment, an Ohio Rx purchasing platform to lower prescription prices, greater hospital and insurance pricing transparency, stronger surprise-billing enforcement and medical-debt relief.
Workers: The campaign opposes right-to-work legislation and supports collective bargaining and enforcement against wage theft and worker misclassification.
Government ethics: Its reform plan calls for an anti-corruption task force, restrictions on movement between regulators and regulated businesses, additional donor and contractor disclosures, and a public procurement database.
Public safety: The public safety platform supports local law enforcement and first responders, community partnerships, addiction treatment and mental health services.
Reproductive rights: The campaign supports access to abortion, contraception, fertility treatment and miscarriage care.
Data centers: Its current proposal calls for a conditional moratorium until developments cover their utility costs, use union labor, meet environmental and transparency requirements, and locate on brownfields or previously developed industrial sites.
Endorsements and questionnaire
The campaign’s current endorsement list includes Ohio AFL-CIO, the Ohio Education Association, United Auto Workers and Ohio Nurses Association, among others. These are campaign-reported endorsements. Acton did not return this outlet’s questionnaire.
