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An armed individual lunged at Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and injured multiple people Sunday in a burst of violence at the Canfield Fair, her campaign said.
“While attending the Canfield Fair, an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people,” Acton campaign communications director Addie Bullock said in a statement.
“Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured,” Bullock added. “This kind of violence has no place in Ohio. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another.”
The campaign did not say if Acton was injured.
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Authorities did not immediately release details about the alleged attacker, the weapon involved or the conditions of those injured. It was also unclear what prompted the confrontation and whether anyone had been arrested.
The incident came as Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that candidates and other public figures continue to face threats as campaign season kicks into high gear.
“You’re never safe in the public eye,” Mullin told Fox News’ Peter Doocy during an interview on “The Sunday Briefing.”
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Doocy asked Mullin whether candidates were safe heading into the traditional Labor Day weekend kickoff to campaign season, citing the political assassinations and assassination attempts that have rocked the country in recent years.
“If you read any of the social media posts, which I choose not to, but you see the type of rhetoric and the hatefulness that’s out there,” Mullin said.
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“The threats to our elected officials, they don’t go away,” he continued. “We’ve got to bring down the temperature, but the temperature is not going to go down on itself.”
Mullin said Americans must accept that political disagreements are part of the country’s system of government while drawing a firm line at violence.
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“The American people have to realize that we do have a republic, and the republic has different opinions, and it’s OK to have different opinions,” he said.
“When you cross a line and say that that different opinion needs to be silenced — it needs to be silenced through violence — that’s where Homeland comes into place,” Mullin added. “Free speech is something we all protect, but there’s a line that you can cross that goes from free speech to inciting dangerous behavior.”
Mullin was speaking broadly about political threats and was not responding directly to the reported confrontation involving Acton.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and his running mate, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, condemned the Canfield Fair incident.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” Ramaswamy campaign communications director Connie Luck said in a statement.
“What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt,” she added.
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Acton and Ramaswamy are facing off in November’s closely watched race to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
Acton, a physician, became a household name in Ohio while serving as director of the Ohio Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Associated Press. She appeared alongside DeWine during televised briefings as the state imposed shutdowns and other public-health restrictions.
Her handling of the pandemic has since become a central campaign issue, The AP reported. Ramaswamy and other Republicans have criticized Acton over the restrictions, while her campaign has defended her work with DeWine as necessary to protect Ohioans.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office for additional information.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy contributed to this report.
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