Amy Acton Biography: From Ohio’s Pandemic-Era Health Chief to a Dead-Heat Governor’s Race

Six years after armed protesters gathered outside her Columbus-area home and a state lawmaker called her a “globalist”, a comment widely condemned as antisemitic, Dr. Amy Acton is running neck-and-neck with biotech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy to become Ohio’s next governor.

Polling released in early October 2026 by the New York Times/Siena College, Suffolk University and Marist all showed Acton with a narrow lead heading into the November general election, a striking reversal for a race once seen as favoring the Republican nominee in a state Donald Trump carried comfortably in 2024.

Dr. Amy Acton, born Amy Stearns, is an American physician and public health official who served as Director of the Ohio Department of Health from 2019 to 2020, becoming nationally recognized for her role in the state’s early COVID-19 pandemic response, and who is now the Democratic nominee for Governor of Ohio in the 2026 election.

Profile

Early Life

Acton was born Amy Stearns and grew up in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley, in the Youngstown area.

In a 2019 interview, she described a difficult childhood marked by abuse, neglect and a period of homelessness while living with her mother following her parents’ divorce.

By high school she had found stability living with her father, becoming a member of the National Honor Society at Youngstown’s Liberty High School and homecoming queen in 1984. She has said her interest in medicine traces back to a childhood hospital visit.

Medical Education and Early Career

Acton earned her medical degree from the Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine (now part of Youngstown State University) and a master’s degree in public health from The Ohio State University, where she later became a professor.

She completed pediatric internships at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, followed by a residency in preventive medicine at Ohio State.

Her career spanned private practice in preventive medicine and public health, directing Project L.O.V.E., a Columbus hospital initiative for early childhood vaccination, and roles at the Columbus Foundation, including as vice president of its Human:Kind initiative.

She also taught at Ohio State’s College of Medicine and Public Health and at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Research Institute.

Director of the Ohio Department of Health

In February 2019, newly inaugurated Republican Governor Mike DeWine recruited Acton as his final cabinet pick, making her the first woman to serve as Director of the Ohio Department of Health.

She rose to national prominence in spring 2020 as a central figure in Ohio’s early COVID-19 response, appearing alongside DeWine in daily press briefings characterized by calm, empathetic communication that won praise from much of the public.

During her tenure, Ohio created the health department’s first deputy director position focused on mobilizing resources around health equity and inclusion.

Backlash and Resignation

Acton’s public health measures, including stay-at-home orders, drew significant political backlash in 2020. The wife of an Ohio state senator compared her to Nazi Germany over a proposed business reopening plan, and a state representative called her a “globalist” after she extended stay-at-home orders in May 2020, a term widely identified as an antisemitic slur given Acton’s Jewish identity.

Armed protesters gathered outside her Columbus-area home on weekends, some carrying signs with antisemitic and sexist messages, while the Ohio House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at limiting her regulatory powers.

State Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko said at the time that she had “endured an incredible amount of unfair criticism, including some anti-Semitic attacks.” Acton resigned as department director in June 2020, transitioning to a role as chief health adviser to Governor DeWine.

Recognition

Following her pandemic-era public service, Acton received the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s Profile in COVID Courage Award in 2021, was named USA Today’s Woman of the Year for Ohio in 2022, and received the Columbus Foundation’s Spirit of Columbus Award in 2020 and Ohio State University’s Alumni Medalist Award. The Northeast Ohio Medical University’s Board of Trustees awarded her an honorary degree in 2020.

2026 Gubernatorial Campaign

Acton announced her candidacy for Governor of Ohio in January 2025, running as a Democrat with David Pepper as her lieutenant gubernatorial running mate. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and was officially nominated in the April 2026 primary election. In the general election, she faces Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, and Libertarian nominee Don Kissek. Her campaign has centered on an affordability platform aimed at lowering healthcare costs, reducing energy bills and providing tax relief for working families. Polling released in late September and early October 2026 — including surveys from the New York Times/Siena College, Suffolk University/USA Today Network, and Marist — showed Acton with a narrow lead over Ramaswamy, a tightening that political observers have attributed in part to weak approval ratings for President Trump in Ohio and voter concerns over the economy, inflation and gas prices, alongside scrutiny of Ramaswamy’s business record and wealth.

Personal Life

Acton is married to Eric Acton, who has taught and coached in Ohio’s Bexley City Schools since 1987. The couple lives in Bexley, Ohio, and she is the mother of six children.

Career Timeline

Zeez

Zeez is the editor and founder of BioOrbit, where he researches and writes biographies of public figures from Nigeria and around the world. With 5 years of experience writing about news, entertainment, sports and politics, Zeez focuses on verified facts, clear sourcing and regular updates. Found an error? Report a correction.