By Ben Jenkins, Podcast Manager
What began as a campaign stop at Canfield Fair for Ohio’s gubernatorial candidate took a frightening turn as a man, armed with two handguns, pushed through the crowd in an apparent attempt to assault Democratic candidate Amy Acton.
Acton was speaking under the Mahoning County Democratic Party tent, when Patrick Havas entered the area. He then moved towards Acton while knocking two bystanders to the ground. State troopers were able to stop him before reaching Acton.
Police found him with two handguns, a taser and brass knuckles on his person, but he did not draw any weapon. He was then arrested and charged with two counts of assault, disorderly conduct and for inducing panic. Bond was set at $5,000 and the investigation is currently still ongoing.
“The atmosphere at the event was passionate and very supportive of Acton as well as the rest of the speakers in attendance.”, sophomore data science student Tommy Quail said. “Nothing really seemed unusual during the event. I was shocked when I heard the news the next day”.
Quail attended the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic; an event Acton spoke at the day before the assassination attempt.
Acton, who previously served as the director of the Ohio Department of Health, started her campaign in Jan. 2025. She has had a relatively smooth campaign so far, other than typical political verbal attacks.
Havas’s brother was previously a volunteer on former Ohio senator Jon Husted’s campaign. The connection to Husted, who is a Republican, is a flash point in the rhetoric surrounding the situation.
Although there was a clear path to paint Ohio Republicans as the source of this violence the Acton campaign chose to take a different route. Her and her campaign expressed gratitude to the local law enforcement as well as sending prayers to those who were injured by the attacker.
Acton becomes another case of rising political violence in the United States as politics continues to divide citizens.
“Campaigns, candidates running for office have the right to go out and talk to people. It’s one of the things we cherish. It is always unacceptable”, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stated regarding the attack and ongoing increase in political violence.
As well as DeWine, Acton’s opponent Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign released an online statement on the attack. “Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt.”
With the election less than two months away, this incident comes at a critical point in the gubernatorial race. Acton and Ramaswamy are entering the final stretch of their campaigns. Many polls reflected a slight jump in support of Acton after the attack. In a race as tight as this one small change could be enough to swing the state.
The incident at the Canfield Fair has brought more attention to political violence and the safety of candidates. With just weeks until election day, both Acton and Ramaswamy will continue to make public appearances across Ohio. As for Havas, his case will continue to move forward as law enforcement continues with the investigation into his actions.