Armed man who rushed Ohio governor candidate Amy Acton set to face judge

An armed man who forced his way through a crowd toward Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair on Sunday was scheduled to appear before a judge in Mahoning County on Tuesday, two days after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers assigned to Acton's security detail intercepted him before he reached her, according to local television reporting and the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office.

The man, identified by authorities as Patrick Havas, 38, of Canfield, walked into a tent set up by the Mahoning County Democratic Party at the fairgrounds around 2:30 p.m. Sunday while recording video on his cellphone, according to the sheriff's office. As Acton addressed a crowd of supporters, Havas pushed through the audience toward her, knocking at least two people to the ground, including, according to one account, elderly attendees on mobility scooters. Troopers moved in and took him into custody before he reached the candidate. Acton was not injured.

The confrontation took place amid one of the largest gatherings on the Mahoning County fair's calendar. The Canfield Fair, held annually on a roughly 350-acre fairgrounds in northeastern Ohio, is the state's second-largest fair after the Ohio State Fair and regularly draws several hundred thousand visitors over its run, filling the grounds with vendor tents, livestock barns and political booths from both major parties during election years. The Democratic Party tent where Sunday's confrontation happened had been hosting a scheduled meet-and-greet with Acton when Havas entered.

What was found, and what wasn't

Deputies recovered two handguns and a set of brass knuckles from Havas after his arrest; one outlet also reported a taser was found. The Mahoning County Sheriff's Office said none of the weapons was ever drawn or removed from a holster during the confrontation. Ohio law permits open and concealed carry of handguns without a special license for most adults, and investigators have not said the firearms themselves were illegal.

Havas was booked into the Mahoning County jail on two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct, according to the county's public inmate booking record. News outlets have described the severity of the assault counts inconsistently — some reporting them as felonies, others as misdemeanors — and the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office had not publicly finalized the charges as of Tuesday morning. No bond had been set. Because the Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield was closed Monday for Labor Day, Havas's initial court appearance was pushed to Tuesday.

A former state health chief now seeking higher office

Acton served as director of the Ohio Department of Health from 2019 to 2021, becoming one of the most recognizable public officials in the state during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when her daily briefings alongside then-Governor Mike DeWine drew a large statewide following. She also drew intense opposition from critics of pandemic restrictions, including threats that prompted increased security around her household while she held that post. She is now the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor in the November 2026 election, running against Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, and receives a state-funded security detail from the Ohio State Highway Patrol's executive protection unit as a major-party candidate, the same unit that intervened Sunday, according to Ohio's NPR affiliate.

Local reporting on Havas's background found a limited criminal record in Mahoning County, including a 2008 disorderly conduct conviction, and no history of documented political activity, according to a review of public records. Investigators have not publicly stated a motive for Sunday's confrontation.

Bystanders hurt, no one hospitalized in serious condition

The Acton campaign said in a statement Sunday that "an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people," and that the candidate and her running mate were "praying for the recovery of those injured." No injury has been described publicly as life-threatening, and none of the outlets that have covered the incident have reported hospitalizations lasting more than the day of the fair. The Mahoning County Democratic Party, whose tent was the site of the confrontation, said in its own statement that what happened "is reprehensible and should be condemned by leaders on all sides of the aisle."

Reaction extended across Ohio's political spectrum. Governor DeWine, a Republican, said "violence or the threat of violence at political or public events is always unacceptable" and that the matter was "in the hands of law enforcement and will be investigated thoroughly." Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, also a Republican, said in an official statement that "the attempted violence directed at Dr. Acton is unacceptable — political violence of any kind has no place in Ohio or our nation," adding that he had "the utmost faith" in her protective detail. A spokesperson for Ramaswamy's campaign called the episode "completely unacceptable" and said candidates should be able to meet voters "without having to worry about threats or violence." Ohio Senator Jon Husted said "there is no place for this kind of behavior, and it must never be tolerated," and Mahoning County Commissioner Geno DeFabio said "political violence of any kind has no place in America." Democratic congressional candidate John Boccieri, who was also campaigning at the fair, said "there can be absolutely no tolerance for threats, intimidation or violence against candidates."

"Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another," Addie Bullock, the Acton campaign's communications director, said in a statement issued the day of the incident.

Back on the trail, case moving to court

Acton returned to public campaigning the next morning, marching in a Labor Day parade in Cleveland, where she briefly acknowledged the episode to reporters, saying only that "we had a rough day yesterday" before continuing her scheduled appearances. Her campaign has not announced any change to her public schedule or security posture beyond the protection already provided by the state.

The Mahoning County Sheriff's Office said its detectives are continuing to review the case with county prosecutors and have asked anyone who recorded video or photos of the confrontation to come forward. Havas's appearance in Mahoning County's area court in Canfield on Tuesday was expected to formally set bond conditions and clarify the final charges he faces. The Ohio State Highway Patrol, whose executive protection unit provides Acton's security as a major-party gubernatorial nominee, has not publicly detailed any changes to how it protects her since Sunday. With the general election two months away, the episode has already become a talking point in a race that both major parties have called closely watched, and further developments are expected as the prosecutor's office completes its review of the charges.