Former Ohio health director Amy Acton is running for governor in 2026. Acton is a physician and public health expert who became a household name among Ohioans as she stood alongside Republican Gov.

Former Ohio Health Department Director Dr. Amy Acton announced on Tuesday that she is running for Ohio governor in 2026. “Today, I filed papers to run for Governor because I refuse to look away from Ohioans who are struggling while self-serving politicians and special interests take our state in the wrong direction,

Dr. Amy Acton, a familiar face to many during the COVID-19 pandemic, has filed paperwork to run for governor of Ohio as a Democrat in 2026, The Associated Press reports. She is the first Democrat to launch such a campaign.

Acton, who has been hinting at such a run since last summer, is the first Ohio Democrat to launch a 2026 gubernatorial campaign.

Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, who gained notoriety during the COVID pandemic, is running for governor in 2026.

She was arguably the best-known non-elected official in Ohio when the pandemic took over our lives. Now, Dr. Amy Acton is looking to use that name recognition to mount her first run for office.

Amy Acton, the former state health director who led Ohio's initial COVID-19 response, has announced a campaign for governor, per AP and other reports. Why it matters: The Democrat hopes to leverage her pandemic popularity and name recognition to flip the governor's seat in 2026 after four terms of Republican control.