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The mess in Washington has had me thinking a lot about the importance of governors. And when I look at the field of governors in 2026, I can’t think of a better example of leadership and service than Dr. Amy Acton, who is running for Governor of Ohio.
Dr. Acton didn’t tiptoe around her childhood when she sat at our table. She talked about growing up poor in Youngstown, moving constantly, and learning early what it meant to be invisible.
“When you’re a kid, and you’re unseen, you notice when people look the other way. I’ve been haunted by the kids that got left behind, and I’ve never wanted to look the other way.”
That instinct carried her through medicine, through leading Ohio during COVID as Ohio’s Department of Health Director, and now into a run for governor in a state that’s been battered by corruption and neglect. She reminded me that public health—and public trust—are built in statehouses, not exam rooms.
“We gained 30 years of life expectancy in one century… and only five came from anything I learned in med school. Twenty-five years came from things we have to solve together. It’s actually why we have government.”
Dr. Acton is taking that same truth-telling into a race most pundits wrote off. But she’s in a dead heat, winning independents, and drawing crowds in places Democrats “haven’t been in a long time.” She’s clear about the stakes:
“This isn’t the time to sit in that seat on your ass. It’s time to get up and fight. It’s go time.”
What I love about Dr. Acton is that she talks about hope the way an engineer talks about a bridge—something you build with intention.
“My definition of hope is optimism plus a plan.”
And she has one.
Because hope isn’t passive. It’s action, courage, and choosing not to look away when it matters most.
—Jaime
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