314 Action Fund congratulates Dr. Amy Acton on her historic victory in the Ohio gubernatorial election, defeating self-funded billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy. Dr. Acton is the first Democrat elected Governor of Ohio in two decades and the first woman to be elected Ohio Governor. In response, 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton released the following statement:
“314 Action Fund congratulates Dr. Amy Acton on her historic victory in Ohio,” said Shaughnessy Naughton, President of 314 Action. “Voters rejected billionaire bully Vivek Ramswamy and elected a doctor to lead the state—making Amy Acton the first woman doctor to serve as Governor in American history. Her successful election is a bellwether for Democrats running in red states and proves that Democratic doctors and scientists have the credibility, expertise and experience to win tough races.”
Despite being outspent 7:1, Dr. Acton beat Ramswamy in one of the most closely watched gubernatorial races in the country. 314 Action Fund raised and contributed $3 million from grassroots donors to Dr. Acton’s campaign, mobilizing a national network of donors who believe in science to boost her candidacy and combat the onslaught of attack ads unleashed by her opponent and his GOP allies.
“Ohioans trusted her to lead the state once before, and tonight they’ve trusted her to lead them again because she proved that she can lead in a crisis, stand up to political interference and put public health over politics,” Naughton continued. “314 Action Fund was proud to stand with Dr. Acton from the beginning, and we are beyond excited to celebrate this historic victory with her tonight.”
314 Action Fund has a longstanding relationship with Dr. Amy Acton, working to recruit her to run statewide since 2021, following her service as Director of the Ohio Department of Health under Governor Mike DeWine during the pandemic. As Director of Health, she earned international praise for her leadership addressing the opioid epidemic and later rose to prominence during COVID-19, becoming a nationally recognized public health leader as she led the state during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, providing Ohioans with regular updates and guidance during the unprecedented crisis.
Dr. Amy Acton’s career as a physician focused on preventative medicine and public health and is a Guardians of Public Health candidate, answering the call to serve her community as 314 Action works to elect 100 new doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals to office by 2030. Dr. Acton is the first woman medical doctor Governor and one of only two Democratic physician governors in America, joining the ranks alongside Hawaii Governor Josh Green.