Amy Acton believes Ohioans are sick of political vitriol and want elected officials to solve problems.
That's a cornerstone of her campaign for governor against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a race that's attracted national attention and millions of dollars in ad spending. The winner on Nov. 3 will replace Gov. Mike DeWine, who was Acton's boss during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acton joined state government reporter Haley BeMiller for an episode of Ohio Politics Explained on Oct. 14. She outlined her plans to provide Ohioans with a child tax credit, increase public school funding and expand property tax relief for elderly homeowners.
Action also addressed
her time as Ohio Department of Health director during the pandemic, why she won't debate Ramaswamy and her support for ideas that aren't universally popular among Democrats, such as Medicaid work requirements and a proposed constitutional amendment to require photo ID at the polls.
In his calls for a debate, Ramaswamy has accused Acton of hiding from her record.
"We're going to be very, very, very transparent, and that's because I think some of the problems we face as Ohioans are so complicated," Acton said. "If they were easy to solve, we would have solved them already. And I want Ohioans to come along on that journey and have a voice in that journey."
You can watch the full interview with Acton in the video player above or listen on your podcast platform of choice. Our interview with Ramaswamy is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Amy Acton talks affordability, defends debate decision in podcast
