Dr. Amy Acton
A Fighter for Ohio
Dr. Amy Acton grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, in a family that had worked in the steel mills. Early struggles during her childhood, where she overcame abuse, hunger, and periods of homelessness, taught her grit, perseverance, and empathy, shaping her life’s mission to fight for every Ohio family trying to make ends meet and build a better future for working families. From delivering newspapers and waiting tables to putting herself through college and medical school, Amy worked her way out of poverty to become a doctor. She knows what it’s like to work hard and still feel like you’re falling behind — and she’s dedicated her entire career to lifting up others. As a pediatrician and public health leader, Amy devoted her early career to children’s health, tackling the devastating effects of the crack cocaine epidemic, starting the first-ever residency rotation in child advocacy, and leading Project L.O.V.E., a partnership between hospitals and community leaders to improve preventive care for kids. She later served as an award-winning professor at The Ohio State University and joined the Columbus Foundation, where she led efforts to combat youth homelessness and improve women’s health.
Putting Ohioans First
In 2019, Gov. Mike DeWine asked Amy to serve as director of the Ohio Department of Public Health. She accepted, setting aside partisanship, to serve the people of Ohio. She worked with Republicans and Democrats to hold big drug companies accountable for the opioid crisis and secured a historic settlement to fund addiction recovery. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Amy’s calm, compassionate leadership saved lives, helped schools reopen safely, and steadied Ohio through one of its most difficult moments. For her service, she earned the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2021 and was named USA Today’s Woman of the Year for Ohio in 2022.
After leaving government, Amy returned to the Columbus Foundation, where she helped launch the Center for Human Kindness and also Rapid 5, a regional initiative improving health and economic opportunity through parks and community investment. She also partnered with WKYC to create Health, Hope & Healing, a series that amplifies the stories of everyday Ohioans working toward a better life.
Building a Better Future for Every Ohioan
Amy is running to be Ohio’s next governor, currently held by term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. After years of Republican control, Amy is running to make Ohio work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. She’ll fight to make life more affordable for working families by tackling high costs for housing, health care, energy, and child care, cracking down on price gouging, addressing medical debt, and expanding the child tax credit and free school lunches. She will protect reproductive freedom so that women can make their own health care decisions, and she will always stand with workers and unions. Amy is the candidate who can unite the state, restore trust in government, and make Ohio a place where everyone can thrive. EMILYs List is proud to stand with her in this must-win race to break the Republican grip on state power.