Gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Ohio Secretary of State candidate Allison Russo speak at Medina County Democratic Party dinner

MEDINA — Dr. Amy Acton and Allison Russo shared their platform and why they are running for office during the Medina County Democratic Party's fall dinner on Thursday. Acton is a physician and the former director of the Ohio Department of Health who led the state's pandemic response in 2020. She is the only candidate who is currently running in the Democratic primary for governor. "I am an ordinary person," she said. "I live in a normal house. I never expected to have the voice I have. This voice came from you, and I am refusing to look the other way." Acton described the basis of her career as humanitarian, and what has moved both her career and her heart are the problems she believes need to be solved. She said she is running for governor because she believes Ohioans are struggling. "People are longing for public servants again," she said. "They frankly do not care what party you are. They want to see you solve problems instead of make problems." Some of her goals include addressing gerrymandering and making Ohio the healthiest state in the country with the best education and workforce development. Acton said Democrats need to create a long-term plan for the future. "I give you a North Star," she said. "I put the hard facts down there. I get everybody around the table that needs to be there across multiple systems, and then we have hard conversations. We actually try things, and we keep trying things." Russo is a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and formerly served as the Ohio House Minority Leader. She said she never planned to be in elected office, but she became frustrated in 2017 because of what was going on nationally and in the state. "I remembered that on election night in 2016, my baby was only 6 weeks old," she said. "I remember being very upset about what was happening and looking at my daughter and saying to her, 'Never again will I stay on the sidelines.'" Russo is now running as a Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. She is running for the position because she believes no other office is more important for the administration of the election process and Ohioans' right to vote. "We need a secretary of state who is dedicated to being pro-voter and returning power back to where it belongs, and that is with the people of Ohio," she said. "Full stop." Her goal is to be a secretary of state who advocates for the voter. Russo said she is against making it harder for people to vote, using the office for partisan gain and having confusing ballot language. "I firmly believe the secretary of state's office shouldn't be political at all because it doesn't matter who is showing up to vote," she said. "Who is in the office of the secretary of state should not influence the outcome of elections. It should be solely up to the voters, and that power belongs to the people." Bryan Hambley is running in the Democratic primary against Russo for secretary of state. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.