CINCINNATI — On Monday, the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters officially endorsed Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, during a campaign trip to Cincinnati.
“I am going to be the most pro-union, pro-labor governor there ever has been,” Acton said.
OAPFF Union President Jon Harvey said for the organization, the decision of who to endorse in a political race is bipartisan. He said they look for the candidate who cares the most about firefighter issues rather than a candidate of a specific party.
WATCH: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dr. Amy Acton shares what she plans to tackle if elected
“Dr. Acton recognizes what collective bargaining means to this state, understands what unions mean to this state. She stood on the picket lines with our brothers and sisters,” Harvey said.
On her visit to the Queen City, Acton spoke on several issues she hopes to tackle if elected as the next governor of Ohio, all with one common theme.
“It’s the cost of living. It’s absolutely the fact that people are working harder than they’ve ever worked in their entire lives, they’re doing everything right, but it just doesn’t add up,” Acton said.
Acton said her policies would help lower the cost of health care and property taxes, as well as fully fund public schools and tax breaks for the working class, not for billionaires.
“We’re putting policies out there that cut taxes, not for people at a billion plus, my opponents' friends like Elon Musk," Acton said. "We’re doing working families tax cut for the rest of us.”
Polls show that the race between Acton and Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy has been neck and neck. WCPO asked Acton how she plans to win the seat.
“I think just telling the very clear contrast between an opponent who’s not just out for himself. He’s out of touch, and he’s out here to advance the wants of billionaires over the needs of everyday Ohioans. And I’m here to fight for everyday Ohioans,” Acton said.
We reached out to Ramaswamy’s team for a response to Acton’s claims against him, and to her endorsement from the OAPFF. A campaign spokesperson for Ramaswamy replied with the following statement:
"In the last month, Vivek has secured the endorsements of the Fraternal Order of Police (the largest labor union representing police officers across Ohio), the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, and the Chamber of Commerce, among others. While Vivek hosts unfiltered town halls with thousands of voters across the state, she continues to hide and refuses to take voter questions. We challenge Dr. Acton’s handlers to let her answer to voters directly.”
