Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton declines to face Vivek Ramaswamy in debate

Democratic candidate Amy Acton has decided not to join a debate with Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio governor’s race, according to a statement from her campaign manager Phil Stein. Stein labeled Ramaswamy a scam artist who circulates baseless lies, including unverified claims about Acton’s alleged substance-use incident in 2019 and accusations related to her childhood abuse. He condemned more than $50 million spent on attack advertisements by Ramaswamy’s wealthy backers as “the most vile and repulsive lies” Ohio has seen.

Ramaswamy replied that debates function like job interviews and faulted Acton for avoiding voter scrutiny after her departure as the state’s health director. He also cited a past comment from Acton’s running mate David Pepper, who argued that refusing to debate shows contempt for voters. The dispute highlights the increasingly hostile tone of the campaign and the role of aggressive advertising in Ohio’s 12-million-person electorate.