WJW (TV)

Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed it produced the controversial ad featuring Dr. Amy Acton's long-estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who calls her daughter "a liar." The campaign is spending $4 million to run the ad statewide and has declined to pull it despite bipartisan condemnation. Acton's brother says the siblings were removed from their mother's custody as children after their stepfather was indicted for raping Acton between ages 9 and 12. Gov. Mike DeWine called the ad "deeply, deeply troubling" and urged Ramaswamy to take it down while keeping his endorsement; Sen. Jon Husted and former Rep. Jim Renacci also criticized it, warning of a GOP backlash. VP JD Vance dismissed the outcry as "whining," and President Trump defended Ramaswamy, calling the mother's hostility "unusual." Acton leads polling in a race drawing over $120 million in outside spending.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections held a public demonstration of its absentee ballot security measures as part of its "Know Before You Vote" series, with early voting underway ahead of Election Day.

Director Anthony Perlatti showed how drop boxes are monitored around the clock with security cameras, including a livestream viewable on YouTube, and detailed access controls at the board's Cleveland headquarters, including staff ID badges and a bipartisan lock system restricting entry to areas where ballots are stored.

Perlatti noted that rules for early and absentee voting mirror those used in the May primary, but emphasized a key deadline: ballots must be returned by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, since postmarks no longer determine eligibility for counting. The demonstrations come as officials anticipate one of the busiest election days in county history, with voters deciding races for Ohio governor, U.S. House and Senate seats, and numerous local school levies and ballot issues.
Cuyahoga County officials showcase ballot drop box security and absentee voting deadlines ahead of a high-turnout Election Day.

Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy are courting rural Ohio voters ahead of the Nov. 3 governor's race to succeed term-limited Mike DeWine, with the Cook Political Report ranking the contest a toss-up. In Marietta, Acton proposed a three-year moratorium on new fracking injection wells over groundwater fears, winning praise from a local Republican official. Both candidates have also targeted data centers, with Ramaswamy pushing a plan requiring tech companies to cover residents' electricity bills, halt non-disclosure agreements, and build only on pre-zoned industrial land rather than farmland, while Acton wants data center projects to prove they can cover utility costs and use union labor before proceeding.

The race has grown notably hostile, including an incident in which an armed man charged toward Acton at a campaign stop, injuring bystanders. Acton has refused to debate Ramaswamy, accusing him of lying and attacking her family, though she remains open to forums. Early voting began Oct. 6, with polling showing Acton holding a narrow lead. Other close Ohio contests include U.S. House races in the 7th and 9th districts.

Ohio's temporary suspension of its 38.5-cent-per-gallon gas tax took effect this past weekend, a move Governor Mike DeWine signed into law as gas prices statewide have averaged more than $4 a gallon following the outbreak of war with Iran. The tax holiday is expected to last about three months, with officials estimating drivers will save between $3 and $7 per fill-up once the savings take effect.

Savings won't appear immediately, since gas stations must first sell through their existing taxed fuel supply before tax-free gas reaches the pumps. Supporters, including Republican state lawmakers, note the timing coincides with the holiday travel season and an upcoming election. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, argue the roughly $750 million cost over 90 days doesn't guarantee meaningful relief for consumers, since stations could still raise prices for other reasons. Prices are expected to rise again once the suspension ends.

Texas voters head to the polls Nov. 3, 2026 for a general election featuring statewide races for U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and railroad commissioner, plus seats on the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals. Congressional, state legislative, judicial and local races will also appear depending on a voter's location. Key deadlines include an Oct. 5 voter registration cutoff and an Oct. 23 deadline to apply for a mail ballot. In-person voters need an acceptable photo ID, though those without one may sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide alternate documentation.

Elsewhere, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, election officials are holding public demonstrations of voting equipment, mail-ballot sorting and drop-box security as part of a "Know Before You Vote" campaign ahead of the same Nov. 3 election, which also includes governor and U.S. Senate races along with local levies and charter amendments. Officials are urging voters nationwide to review sample ballots in advance. Early voting in Harris County runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30, with Election Day polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters should check VoteTexas.gov or local county election sites for details.

Firefighters, police officers, state troopers and community members in Canton, Ohio, gathered on the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks to honor the 343 firefighters and other first responders killed in New York. Beginning at 8:46 a.m., participants in full turnout gear climbed the 108 steps outside the McKinley Memorial 11 times, totaling 22 laps to symbolize the 110 stories of the World Trade Center towers.

Each climber wore a badge bearing the name of a fallen first responder. Organizers, including Canton Fire Department Division Chief Steve Henderson and Mayor William Sherer II, said the exercise was meant to give participants a small sense of what responders endured that day. Local high school students also took part, connecting with an event that occurred before many of them were born. Participants included volunteer firefighters and educators who described the climb as both a tribute and a way to keep the history of the attacks alive for younger generations.

Democratic Ohio gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton was unharmed after an armed man attacked her Sept. 6 at the Canfield Fair near Youngstown, her campaign said. The suspect, identified as Patrick Havas, 38, of Canfield, forced his way toward Acton inside a local Democratic Party tent before being intercepted by Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers on her protective detail. Multiple fairgoers were knocked over in the struggle, and two people were injured. Havas was found carrying two pistols, brass knuckles and a Taser, though no weapons were brandished; he was jailed on charges of disorderly conduct and two counts of assault. Authorities are seeking cellphone footage as the investigation continues.

The attack drew bipartisan condemnation, including from Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy and outgoing Governor Mike DeWine, though some conservative commentators and the local sheriff, a Ramaswamy endorser, downplayed the incident. Acton returned to the trail the next day at a Cleveland Labor Day parade with heightened security, thanking first responders as fellow Democrat Sherrod Brown denounced political violence. The episode underscores rising tension in Ohio's toxic, closely watched governor's race between Acton and Ramaswamy.