Amy Acton incident spotlights threats public officials, candidates face
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The recent confrontation involving an armed man and governor candidate Amy Acton at a campaign stop illustrates a broader climate of threats and harassment facing public officials nationwide.
Why it matters: Physical violence is much less common, but research suggests concerns about hostility are having a chilling effect on how elected officials interact with the public.
By the numbers: The Bridging Divides Initiative, a nonpartisan political violence research group at Princeton University, has documented over 2,100 reported events of threats and harassment from January 2022-April 2026.
- That includes 81 in Ohio, per an Axios analysis.
- About two-thirds nationwide were carried out remotely or virtually and over a third involved a death threat.
Threat level: A recent BDI/CivicPulse survey found 54% of local elected officials experienced some form of hostility between January and March, with no significant difference across party lines.
- Concerns about hostility made 76% of respondents less willing to engage in at least one civic or political activity.
The big picture: The issue extends beyond local government, with 43% of state legislators telling the Brennan Center for Justice in 2023 they had recently experienced threats.
Catch up quick: Patrick Havas, 38, the man arrested Sept. 6 at the Canfield Fair near Youngstown, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of assault, disorderly conduct and inducing panic and was released on a $5,000 bond, NBC News reports.
- Havas is accused of knocking two older people to the ground in an attempt to push through a crowd and reach Acton.
- He was armed with two handguns, brass knuckles and a Taser, but never brandished them before Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers apprehended him, officers say.
- During Tuesday's hearing, the county prosecutor said Havas tried asking Acton questions while recording with his phone, per AP.
Flashback: Acton, a Jewish Democrat, previously faced armed and antisemitic protests outside her Bexley home while serving as state health director during the pandemic.
- In another high-profile example of hostility, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose received a threatening letter containing a powdery substance at his Upper Arlington home in 2024. It was one of 92 threats a New Albany man later admitted to sending to over 30 officials.
The final word: Late last week, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine dismissed claims that Acton's campaign exaggerated the Canfield encounter.
- "That's a bunch of garbage," DeWine told the Dispatch and other reporters. "No one overblew it. Facts are facts. These are not good situations, and they are anti-democratic."