Armed man rushed Ohio Democratic governor candidate Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair, knocking down two attendees; he faces two assault counts
Patrick Havas, 38, was carrying two handguns and brass knuckles — all legal to carry in Ohio — and drew none of them; he is held without bond.
Republicans who condemned the attack on the Democratic nominee: Mike DeWine (Gov-R Ohio) called Acton personally and said afterward that she is "ok"; he called the violence unacceptable Vivek Ramaswamy (R-OH), her opponent, condemned the attack through his campaign; he was scheduled at the same fair that afternoon
ContextActon ran Ohio's health department under Mike DeWine (Gov-R Ohio) during the 2020 pandemic, when protesters gathered outside her home; she is now the Democratic nominee for governor against Vivek Ramaswamy (R-OH), with the election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, about eight weeks after the attack. He never drew either handgun: witnesses say the gun only became visible when the brass knuckles slipped off his fingers, and officers took him down within moments. Attacks on a sitting governor or a nominee in person are rare. The closest recent case is the 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, which led to 13 arrests. No national count tracks threats against governors. For members of Congress, the Capitol Police logged 8,008 threat cases in 2023, up from 7,501 in 2022.
AP12 sources
