CINCINNATI — Democratic nominee for Ohio governor Dr. Amy Acton was back on the campaign trail in Cleveland on Monday, less than 24 hours after officials said an armed man rushed toward her while she spoke to a crowd at the Canfield Fair near Youngstown.
According to the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, Acton's Ohio State Highway Patrol security detail stopped Patrick Havas, 38, before he could reach her. Law enforcement said he was armed with two handguns and a set of brass knuckles but did not pull them out during the incident.
Havas was arrested and is currently in the Mahoning County jail. He faces assault and disorderly conduct charges. According to court records, Havas has a prior disorderly conduct conviction from 2008.
WATCH: Ohio gubernatorial candidates Amy Acton, Vivek Ramaswamy speak on Sunday's incident at the Canfield Fair
During a Cleveland Labor Day Parade event, which featured bolstered security according to our sister-station News 5 Cleveland, Acton spoke about what happened on Sunday.
"Yes, we had a rough day yesterday. I am so thankful to our first responders, our state highway patrol and everyone who helped out the people who were injured," Acton said. "And our prayers are with them. I am a fierce warrior in this fight. That’s exactly why I’m running."
Acton's Democratic nominee for Ohio lieutenant governor, David Pepper, spoke to the media Monday about what happened inside the tent. He said he wasn't a witness to the incident.
"(Havas) very aggressively moved into a crowded tent, knocked some elderly folks over who were initially hurt, and to Amy's credit, she's got a sort of a first-responder mentality," he said. "Right after the incident, she actually went and helped take care of one of the people who was hurt."
Pepper said two people allegedly knocked down by Havas are doing fine and credited law enforcement with preventing a worse outcome.
"The state highway patrol, first responders, did an amazing job of stopping what was a scary incident," Pepper said.
Pepper said the campaign has been security-conscious from the start and will continue working with OSHP going forward.
"There's no room for this kind of violence, and, and some of the rhetoric that's leading to it is just out of control," Pepper said.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who said he was briefly at the Canfield Fair but learned of the incident afterward, condemned the incident Monday.
"The first and most important thing is I am very grateful that Dr. Acton and her family are doing well. That's the most important thing," Ramaswamy said. "Political violence has no place in America. Period. Full stop. The threat of political violence has no place in America. Full stop."
Ramaswamy also called for a debate with Acton, saying it would set an example for the public of how democracy is supposed to work.
University of Cincinnati political science professor David Niven said the incident reflects a shift in American politics.
"I think there's been an upswing in threats and attacks on governors and, and candidates for governor in the recent political era," he said. "Political violence was not invented in 2026, but what's different is just the ubiquity of it."
Niven said technology has made candidates easier to track, creating a tension between open campaigning and security.
"This is one of the unsolvable aspects of, of modern campaigns. It's far easier and faster to know where a candidate's going to be," Niven said. "They want that information out there. But on the other hand, for those with ill intent, it's never been easier to track a candidate"
The Mahoning County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the incident while OSHP investigates any potential threat assessment.
In a social media post over the weekend, Republican Sen. Jon Husted called what happened disturbing.
"We are grateful for law enforcement’s quick response," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "There is no place for this kind of behavior, and it must never be tolerated."
Husted's opponent for November, Democrat Sherrod Brown, thanked law enforcement in a separate post.
"Connie and I are grateful that Dr. Acton and all involved are safe, and we thank the Ohio law enforcement officers for their quick and professional response," he wrote.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
