COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton, who became a household name in the state in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, is running for governor.
Acton, 58, a physician and public health expert who stood alongside Republican Gov. Mike DeWine for months during his daily coronavirus briefings, said people still stop her in the grocery store or at a restaurant to share their struggles — and she doesn't want to look away.
“I feel like I have a bond with Ohioans and a connection,” she said in an Associated Press interview. “You don’t go through what we’ve been through — trying to save 11.7 million people the way we did — and not have some special connection.”
Acton filed paperwork and launched her campaign Tuesday. She plans to run as a Democrat, which places her at an immediate disadvantage in a state that has turned solidly red in recent years.
While she has said before that serving in DeWine’s cabinet taught her much about how the office operates, on Tuesday she said she believes that Ohio's Republican leaders — who control all three branches of state government — are spending too much time fighting the culture wars and they're taking the state in the wrong direction.
“It’s not OK with me that Ohioans don’t live as long as people do in other states," she said. "It’s not OK with me to watch what used to be a top education system, state-of-the-art education system, begin to fall year after year after year. It’s not OK with me that our GDP is like 45th and our biggest export is Ohioans, is young people.”
Acton's entry into the race comes as Republicans Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Attorney General Dave Yost already are positioning to run for the seat, which the 78-year-old DeWine must vacate next year due to term limits. But the landscape of the race is far from settled.
DeWine has yet to appoint a replacement to U.S. Sen. JD Vance, who will be inaugurated as Donald Trump's vice president Jan. 20. Though DeWine has long endorsed Husted as his favored successor, the lieutenant governor is now considered a leading contender as his pick for the Senate. That's after Husted and DeWine met with Trump and Vance last month at Mar-a-Lago, a trip first reported by WEWS-TV.
Giving Husted the job would create a political opening for Trump insider Vivek Ramaswamy to possibly make a gubernatorial run against Yost in the 2026 primary. Ramaswamy has said he would not seek the Senate opening — Ohio's third in as many years — right now, because he's busy heading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency effort with Elon Musk. DOGE is not an actual government department, but a private effort.
DeWine plucked Acton from Ohio State University, where she was an associate professor of public health, to lead the Ohio Department of Health in 2019. As the pandemic ramped up in early 2020, she was thrown into the state and national spotlight — becoming a beloved source of comfort to many viewers of the governor's daily news conferences.
For her service as health director, Acton earned the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s Profile in COVID Courage Award, the Columbus Foundation’s Spirit of Columbus Award and Ohio State’s highest alumni honor, the Alumni Medalist Award.
But her position as the face of the DeWine administration's aggressive stance against the virus also earned Acton many enemies, among them Statehouse Republicans and average Ohioans who opposed pandemic restrictions.
During the crisis, Acton used the health director's broad emergency powers to halt the state's 2020 presidential primary, to temporarily close gyms and fitness centers around the state, and to impose stay-at-home orders as the administration tried to prevent COVID’s spread. Husted also took part in the administration's COVID response, but not to the extent that Acton did.
After a grueling period of public exposure, angry demonstrations, lawsuits and personal attacks, Acton resigned her state job in June 2020. DeWine sent her off fondly, describing her as a hero in a white coat. She stayed on as his chief health adviser until that August.
She said Tuesday that she recognizes she has not held elective office, but she feels she has the skills necessary to do the job.
“We know that I’m a doctor. I’m not a politician,” she said. “But I am a leader, and I tend to think of myself as more of a public servant and a problem solver.”
After leaving government, Acton joined the Columbus Foundation as a grants director with the title “vice president for Human:Kind.” She left that post after about six months to explore a run for U.S. Senate, ultimately deciding against joining the 2022 contest won by Vance. She later took on a job as director of the city of Columbus' Project L.O.V.E., an initiative aimed at encouraging early vaccinations in children.
Acton said she has spent all that time supporting candidates and causes that she believes in and carefully considering whether to enter politics.
“My challenge to whoever else wants to run in this race is it's time to put something bigger than ourselves at the top here,” she said. “So many of us have values in Ohio that we all hold dear. We have got to put the real problems, the day-to-day problems we all face on the table and put that first.”
FILE - Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton gives an update on the state's preparedness and education efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Cleveland, Ohio, Feb. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel talked to his team about being prepared to bleed as New England entered its first playoff game since the 2021 season.
Then, shortly after Milton Williams sacked the Chargers' Justin Herbert on Sunday night to secure the Patriots' first playoff victory in seven years, Williams celebrated with a head-butt of Vrabel.
It knocked the first-year coach backward and bloodied his lip.
“The big dogs come out in January. I think Milt took that to heart,” Vrabel said. “He came over and got me pretty good. But that’s what happens.”
Drake Maye threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter, and New England's defense roughed up Herbert as the Patriots beat Los Angeles 16-3 in an AFC wild-card playoff game.
Andy Borregales kicked three field goals for the Patriots (15-3), who hadn't won in the postseason since their Super Bowl victory to cap the 2018 season. They’ll host the winner of Monday night’s game between Pittsburgh and Houston in the divisional round.
In his playoff debut, Maye completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards and ran for a team-high 66 yards.
“We made plays when we had to do it,” Maye said.
He also threw an interception and lost a fumble, but the Chargers (11-7) couldn't capitalize on those turnovers.
New England held Los Angeles to 207 yards of offense and sacked Herbert six times, with one of those resulting in a lost fumble that set up the Patriots' TD.
“It's on us, what we do. I've been saying that all season,” Williams said. “We can control the game. If we do what we need to do up front, we're going to win.”
This is the second straight season in which the Chargers have lost in the wild-card round. Herbert finished 19 of 31 for 159 yards and was his team's leading rusher with 57 yards as he fell to 0-3 in the playoffs.
Herbert was just over a month removed from surgery to repair a broken bone in his nonthrowing hand.
“There was no issue,” Herbert said. “I just have to do a better job holding on to the ball.”
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said his quarterback wasn't 100 percent.
“He’s a warrior. He just gives it everything he has, all the time,” Harbaugh said, acknowledging that Herbert was limited by his hand injury. “It’s an issue, but he doesn’t flinch, like a warrior would.”
The last time the Chargers failed to score a TD in the playoffs was their 21-12 AFC championship game loss to the Patriots during the 2007 season.
The Patriots drove into the red zone on their first possession of the third quarter, but the drive ended when Maye was strip-sacked by Odafe Oweh and De'Shawn Hand recovered for the Chargers.
After Los Angeles punted, Maye connected on a pass to Kayshon Boutte that went for 42 yards to set the Patriots up on the Chargers 27. But New England settled for a 39-yard field goal that stretched their lead to 9-3.
Early in the fourth quarter, Maye used a 16-yard pass to Boutte and a 13-yard burst by Rhamondre Stevenson to set up his precise 28-yard TD toss to Henry that put the Patriots in front 16-3.
The Chargers picked up back-to-back first downs to open their ensuing drive. But when Herbert dropped back to pass on the next play, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson strip-sacked him and fell on loose ball.
Los Angeles had one final possession, but it ended with Herbert getting sacked by Williams on fourth down.
“It’s playoff football. It’s going to get ugly. It’s going to get nasty. But you’ve got to keep going,” Williams said.
The opening quarter had lots of action, but it took until early in the second quarter for the Patriots to end a scoreless stalemate.
With New England pinned inside its own 10 after a Chargers punt, Maye had a pass intended for Austin Hooper tipped by Teair Tart and intercepted by Daiyan Henley.
Los Angeles started with the ball on the Patriots 10 but was stopped on fourth-and-2 when Herbert misfired a pass to Keenan Allen.
The Patriots took over and got some breathing room via a 48-yard catch-and-run by Stevenson.
Thirteen plays and a fourth-down conversion later, the drive ended with Borregales' 23-yard field goal.
Patriots: CB Carlton Davis left in the first half with a toe injury but returned. ... CB Christian Gonzalez left in the second half with a head injury.
Chargers: End of season.
Patriots: Host either Houston or Pittsburgh next Sunday.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss celebrates after recovering a fumble by Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry, left, catches a pass next to Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) and carries it in for a touchdown in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
New England Patriots defensive end Milton Williams (97), linebacker Christian Elliss (53) and linebacker Robert Spillane (14) celebrate Williams' sack of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, left, avoids a tackle by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) passes in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the New England Patriots, in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) celebrates a tackle in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is sacked by New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings, rear, in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) avoids a tackle by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
