Is Amy Acton at Odds With Her Own Party?

Ohio’s gubernatorial election is less than two months away, and Democrat Amy Acton has been making headlines for stances that may seem at odds with her party, including on cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Is it a tactic?

An Aug. 26 headline from News 5 Cleveland noted how “Democrat Acton supports ICE collaboration” with a framing of how she “is breaking from her party…”

“We always work with the federal law enforcement, and we will do so—whatever it takes to keep Ohioans safe,” Acton, who had been asked specifically about ICE officers, said. “We need to hold anyone who comes to our state to the same standards of professionalism that we expect of our public safety officers, and I will always fight for that.”

The Daily Signal spoke with two Ohio strategists, Republican Matt Dole and Democrat Brian Rothenberg. Neither work for their party’s nominee for governor.

A Democrat’s Take

On ICE, Rothenberg said Acton “has not changed her position,” and has “consistently” raised issues with ICE as well, including in Minnesota and on “weaponization” and “inhumaneness.” He also pointed to the stance from Democrats, including Acton, “that if ICE does anything, it should go after dangerous criminals” and “needs to be professional.”

Acton also made headlines on a law protecting girls’ sports and her support for Issue 3, a ballot initiative that codifies voter ID. Her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, in May called for a constitutional amendment to be before the voters.

Rothenberg stressed that the issue of girls’ and women’s sports was “only about those folks in sports,” as he acknowledged a difference of opinion in the transgender community in that there are those who may be upset, while others are more concerned about Ramaswamy’s views.

He also pointed out that Acton has said “she thinks that we need to be treating people more humanely and with dignity and respect,” arguing, “I don’t know that that differs from all Democrats.”

Acton’s statements, Rothenberg made clear, were in response to the U.S. Supreme Court upholding state laws on girls’ and women’s sports.

“And what [Acton] said was, that the law has been passed by Republicans in the legislature, and as governor, she’s going to have to abide by the law,” Rothenberg reminded.

On Issue 3, Rothenberg brought up a point acknowledged by both proponents and opponents, that voter ID is “already in the law,” and this ballot initiative “is enshrining it in the [Ohio] constitution.” Rothenberg opined it’s “an election year gimmick.”

He not only stressed how Acton has been “very consistent,” but also argued that “things have been taken out of proportion,” and have to do with “the nature of social media.”

Rothenberg added the election will come down to the economy and the cost of living as “the issues driving the election.” He specifically mentioned gas prices and tariffs, adding, “I think that people are fatigued, including many mainstream Chamber of Commerce Republicans, with the chaos coming out of Washington.”

Does It Hurt With the Base?

Where Dole and Rothenberg agree is that Acton likely isn’t hurting her chances with fellow Democrats, especially as voters don’t agree with candidates of their own party 100%.

Rothenberg believes that “Republicans have tried to couch this” and “politicize” Acton’s views “because they want to suppress votes on the Democratic side,” adding, “I don’t think it’s going to work.”

“I don’t think it hurts her from inside her base,” Dole argued, as “both sides want to win races, but Democrats have been sort of especially open and transparent, that they are willing to overlook tremendous flaws to gain a seat,” pointing to Democrat support for Graham Platner in Maine.

“And so it may cause some folks pause, but I think those folks want the governorship of Ohio and they want to see Ohio transition back to a purple state and so I think they’re willing to overlook it,” he added.

What About Republicans and Independents?

Democrats likely won’t abandon Acton, but will Republicans and Independents be swayed?

Democrats “were going to vote for [Acton] anyway, so that doesn’t change the electoral math. What changes the electoral math is can she pull some Republican votes and independent votes her way,” Dole argued.

“And the question there is just whether it’s credible or not,” he continued, as he argued that Republicans see her campaigning as “pandering.”

“Republicans aren’t going to be willing to forgive what they dislike about Amy Acton,” Dole said, specifically her COVID-19 response. “So I don’t know that she gains a lot of Republican votes out of it. And so that leaves independents,” he continued, arguing, “we see all the time in Ohio that it comes down to independents,” whom he pointed out “lean right.”

Who Has the ‘Momentum’?

Once a “Lean Republican” race, the gubernatorial elections is now a “Toss-Up.”

Rothenberg “definitely” agrees and argued that Acton has the “momentum,” pointing to how close polls are, some even showing Acton leading, despite the money Ramaswamy is spending.

On the change, Cook Political Report noted that Ramaswamy “has a clear likability problem with Ohio voters, even some in his own party.” But again, Dole believes that Republicans will turn out for Ramaswamy.

“We don’t vote in a vacuum,” Dole pointed out. “And there’s a choice on the ballot. And are Republicans going to be mad enough at Vivek that they go, ‘Amy Acton’s my person?’ And the answer is no, overwhelmingly, 95% of Republicans are going to go, ‘Well I may not like Vivek for whatever reason I’ve decided to not like him, but I’m not voting for Amy Acton,'” he added, stressing voters will “come home” to their party’s nominee.

Debates: ‘Silly Season’ or Important for Voters?

While Ramaswamy accepted debates last Wednesday, later that same day the Acton campaign announced she would not, resulting in quite the chatter.

Dole said that “of course there should be a debate” for gubernatorial races and pointed to Ramaswamy being a skilled debater and “very good in that environment.” His guess is that Amy Acton doesn’t feel comfortable in that environment” and “desperately wants to try and avoid it.”

Rothenberg argued a debate “isn’t going to change anybody’s price of gas bill or electric bill” and pointed to Republicans not doing debates.

“Look, every time you go into these debates, they become silly season,” Rothenberg said, a term he stressed.

He also spoke to the statement from Acton’s campaign declining debates, noting “that Ramaswamy has basically been found to have… lied about some things about Amy Acton and been pretty nasty,” adding Acton “made a decision, and that is her decision.”

The Daily Signal reached out to the Acton campaign but did not hear back in time for publication.