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.
