Staff for Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton physically shielded her from a camera-wielding activist at a campaign stop in Harrison, Ohio, last Saturday, after he asked why she continues to refuse a debate with Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy.
Video of the exchange shows the interviewer approaching Acton and asking, “Dr. Amy Acton, why do you refuse to debate your opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy?” Her staff moved between the two, repeating, “No photos, no videos… I said — no pictures, no interviews.” At one point staff appeared to bump the camera, knocking it out of frame, prompting the interviewer to ask them to “be careful.” Acton did not answer the question and walked away.
The confrontation is the latest flashpoint in a running dispute over debates as the two candidates head toward the Nov. 3 general election. Earlier this month, after Ramaswamy accepted a debate invitation from CNN, Acton’s campaign told local media she would not participate.
A campaign spokesperson explained the decision in a Sept. 2 statement: “Dr. Acton’s focus is on talking with Ohioans, not platforming a scam artist who spreads baseless lies about her and her family, uses AI to falsely paint her as someone with a substance abuse problem, and shames Dr. Acton for being sexually abused as a child while Vivek stands with predators and abusers.”
That statement referenced a string of Republican attacks on Acton, including scrutiny of her handling of Ohio’s COVID-19 response, a 2019 domestic dispute she had while intoxicated, and AI-generated ads that altered her car’s license plate to read “drunk mom.” It also alluded to Ramaswamy’s initial reluctance to speak on releasing the Epstein files when he launched his campaign.
Ramaswamy did not directly respond to those claims. Instead, he used Acton’s debate refusal to question her fitness for the office. “It’s too bad for Ohio voters that Acton won’t take voter questions, won’t debate, quit after failing as Ohio’s health director, and has some serious issues now surfaced in multiple police reports,” he wrote on social media.
Acton’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Harrison incident. Acton, Ohio’s former health director, cleared the Democratic primary and will face Ramaswamy in November’s general election.
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