Ohio’s Amy Acton stops speech to help person in crowd after historic win

( NewsNation ) — Democratic Gov.-elect Amy Acton paused to help someone in the crowd Tuesday night after claiming victory in Ohio’s gubernatorial race, a moment captured during her election night celebration and quickly shared on social media. The gesture came as supporters gathered to mark a historic night for the former public health director.

You can hear someone from the crowd yell, “We need a medic, we need a medic.” Acton’s mouth dropped as she looked out at the crowd and said to the audience, “Someone passed out, we’re going to hold for a minute.”

Acton then exited the stage and swiftly moved into the crowd toward the person whom they believed had fainted. No additional information about the individual is available at this time.

Watch Acton’s full acceptance speech below. (The incident happens at about the 8:30 mark.)

It was a big night for Acton as she became Ohio’s first female governor and the state’s first Democratic governor in two decades. Her campaign centered on lowering costs for families, improving education and reducing healthcare expenses.

NewsNation reported that the race drew national attention in its final weeks after a controversial advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother sparked bipartisan backlash. The campaign also featured sharp clashes over the state’s pandemic response and Ohio’s political future.

A former state health director, Acton rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic and won the governor’s office in one of the most expensive and hard-fought campaigns in state history.