On Sept. 6, an armed man attempted to attack Ohio’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair during a campaign event. Although Acton was left uninjured, the perpetrator harmed and knocked down several bystanders.
Acton is running to replace term-limited Republican incumbent Mike DeWine. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primaries and will be running alongside Democrat David Pepper in the general election. In November, Acton and Pepper will face Republican Vivek Ramaswamy who has an alliance with President Donald Trump. Ramaswamy was also scheduled to speak at the fair on Sunday, after Acton.
Acton’s campaign platform focuses on lowering wage theft, creating an anti-corruption task force, increasing public transparency, placing stricter laws on Ohio data centers and reducing healthcare costs.
She previously served as the Director of the Ohio Department of Health before serving as Chief Health Advisor for the governor’s office under Republican Mike DeWine. Before beginning her campaign for governor, she served as the Vice President of Human:Kind at The Columbus Foundation, a center focused on fostering a sense of belonging in Central Ohio.
Acton has already made history as the first female director of the Ohio Department of Health. If she wins the gubernatorial race, she will then become the first elected female governor in Ohio’s history.
At the fair, the assailant, Patrick Havas, a 38-year-old man from Canfield, Ohio, aggressively shoved his way through the crowd. Authorities say Havas entered the Mahoning County Democratic Party tent while Acton was speaking with voters. He was allegedly calling Acton’s name as he walked toward her. In the process, Havas pushed several volunteers and voters, knocking two to the ground, before Acton’s security intervened. The prosecutor of his case, Lynn Moro, told WKYC News that there was never any close contact between Havas and Acton.
Ohio state patrol troopers then took Havas into custody where they found him with two pistols and brass knuckles.
Later that afternoon, Addie Bullock, communications director for the Acton campaign, released a statement.
“While attending the Canfield Fair, an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people. Dr. Acton and [her husband], Eric, are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured. This kind of violence has no place in Ohio. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another.”
Ramaswamy’s campaign communications director also commented on the incident.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” he said.
Havas is currently being held at Mahoning County Jail, facing two counts of assault, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of inducing panic. On Sept. 8, Havas appeared in Mahoning County Area Court and pleaded not guilty to all four charges. Judge Molly Johnson set his bond at $5,000 and ordered him to have no contact with Acton or the two people he allegedly pushed during the incident. Havas was also ordered to surrender his weapons.
This event is another example of the increase in political violence since President Donald Trump’s reelection in January 2024. Trump has been the victim of three assasination attempts since. Additionally, in 2025 alone, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence was targeted in an arson attack, a gunman attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters and the Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters was targeted in an arson attack.
As the investigation on Acton’s attack continues, the incident has raised concerns about security at public campaign events and the safety of candidates meeting directly with voters. Acton has continued her campaign following the incident, while Havas’ case remains pending in Mahoning County.