An unsettling video of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton speaking at a Toledo campaign event has renewed Republican allegations about her drinking in the closing days of Ohio’s governor’s race. Critics described her delivery as slurred, although the clip does not establish that she was intoxicated.
The roughly 40-second C-SPAN excerpt circulated on social media through accounts including conservative commentator Eric Daugherty’s. Acton greeted the audience and spoke about truth and justice, drawing posts from Republican commentators questioning whether she was impaired.
🚨 OMG. Amy Acton is HAMMERED…
She straight-up embarrassed herself, walking out and slurring like she's drunk out of her mind!
"Ohhh it's so GOOD. Good to be back here, it's about truuuth and justice I just wrote on the worrrr, words back here. That is. I'm honored to be… pic.twitter.com/8jWVAogY01
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 30, 2026
She followed up that appearance with another strange appearance in Cincinnati.
Last night in Cincinnati, Ohio, Amy Acton (@amyactonoh) stuck out her tongue and did some weird body motions.
Seriously, what is Amy’s deal? pic.twitter.com/RcTowKyNko
— Charles R Downs (@TheCharlesDowns) October 29, 2026
The criticism follows campaign attacks involving an August 2019 police response to Acton’s Bexley home, when she was director of the Ohio Department of Health. Her daughter called 911 and reported that her “step dad and mom are fighting and mom has been drinking and throwing things and breaking glass.”
According to the police report, Acton became upset and pulled a mirror from the wall, shattering the glass. The report also said she acknowledged drinking and taking an unknown amount of prescription medication, then went to the garage intending to leave before her husband persuaded her not to drive. A Columbus Fire medic recommended that she go to the hospital, but she declined. Officers found no evidence of physical violence and characterized the incident as a verbal dispute.
Acton’s campaign has disputed suggestions that she was intoxicated, saying she had one drink at dinner and took a longtime migraine prescription as directed. The campaign said the mirror broke when she bumped into a wall hanging during an argument about her work hours. Her husband has said he drank too much and started the argument.
A separate campaign video in September prompted similar accusations after Acton repeatedly shouted, “You can’t buy Ohio!” Her campaign denied allegations of alcohol abuse, and no independent confirmation of intoxication emerged from that appearance.
Checking in on the Amy Acton campaign, is she ok? pic.twitter.com/2A3jnrLpnr
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 5, 2026
Acton, a pediatrician who became widely known during Ohio’s COVID-19 response, faces Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the contest to succeed term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine. The campaign’s final weeks have also brought controversy over a Ramaswamy-linked advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who called her daughter a “liar” and said she has a “serious problem.”
Acton’s campaign has previously dismissed the alcohol-related attacks as politically motivated exaggerations.
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