An armed man was detained after a fight at a campaign rally for Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton. The incident took place at a traditional fair in Canfield.
The suspect, 38-year-old Patrick Havas, entered the tent where Acton was performing. He began filming her on his phone, and then began to push through the crowd until a conflict began with security and volunteers. The attacker was eventually arrested and taken to prison on charges of disorderly conduct and assault.
Two pistols, brass knuckles and a stun gun were recovered from Havas, but he did not draw his weapon during the incident.
Acton's campaign said in a statement that the attacker wounded several people. The extent of the victims' injuries is unknown. Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman Christopher Anderson said Havas “knocked down” the volunteers. The candidate herself was not injured.
In 2019-2020, Acton headed the Ohio Department of Health in the administration of the current Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who cannot run for re-election. He posted on social media that he had spoken with Acton, expressed sympathy for the victims and thanked the police for their prompt work.
“Violence or threats of violence at political or public events will never be tolerated. This matter is now under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies and will be thoroughly investigated,” the governor’s statement said.
Acton is a doctor by profession. She helped one of the victims, NBC News reports.
Acton had no challengers in Ohio's May Democratic primary. In the November elections, her opponents will be libertarian Don Kissek and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran for US president in 2024, but dropped out of the race and supported Donald Trump. After the latter's victory, it was reported that Ramaswamy would head the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) along with billionaire Elon Musk, but in the end he did not pursue it. Ramaswamy's campaign said the incident at the fair was unacceptable.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without fear of threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and unacceptable in politics,” the statement said.
