Vice President JD Vance joked on Friday that he would meet Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton at the bar, poking fun at the Republican Party’s allegations that she is an alcoholic.
“I did promise Amy that I would meet her at a bar later,” Vance told the crowd at an Ohio rally for the midterm elections. “I understand that she’s into that sort of thing, so I’m going to try to get to know her a little bit better.”
The Ohio Republican Party ran with unverified claims that Acton drinks frequently to the point of alcohol abuse, which she strongly denies. The allegations were amplified in attack ads funded by her opponent, Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
The ads in question reference an August 2019 police report that says officers in Bexley, Ohio, responded to a domestic dispute call at Acton’s home, where she admitted to taking prescription medication for migraines while consuming alcohol. Acton was having a fight with her husband at the time, according to the report.
At some point during Acton’s campaign, conservative activist Laura Loomer claimed a Democratic strategist told her that the Ohio Democrat was slurring her words and that her breath smelled like alcohol during a campaign event. Loomer also pointed to Acton’s traffic violation in 1993 to discredit her.
Over three decades ago, Acton was caught driving under a suspended or revoked driver’s license. Loomer questioned why the license was suspended or revoked in the first place, suggesting Acton might have driven under the influence in the past.
“I do not have a drug problem,” Acton said. “I have never had an alcohol problem. I have never ever had that sort of issue, and I think it’s horrible to be demonizing people because so many of our family members do.”
Ramaswamy recently accused Acton of covering up her past, calling her a “chronic liar.” And during Friday’s rally, Vance labeled her a “crazy person.” The two have never personally met.
“I don’t know that much about her,” Vance said, “other than that she was the woman that wanted to mask all of our 2-year-olds and keep them from going to school. That’s the only thing I really remember about her.”
Acton served as the director of the Ohio Department of Health from 2019 to 2020. Her tenure overlapped with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in strict lockdown and mask mandates.
“It was Amy who closed your kids’ schools, who banned you from going to church,” Vance said. “It was Amy who stole precious moments from your family and loved ones, who stole birthdays, graduations, and funerals. It was Amy who forced mandate after mandate after mandate on the great state of Ohio.”
The vice president traveled to Lima, Ohio, to campaign for Ramaswamy and Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), who is facing a challenge from former Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
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“Vote for Vivek,” Vance told Ohio Republicans. “Vote to keep Ohio strong. Vote to keep us prosperous, and vote to keep us free.”
President Donald Trump is also visiting Ohio to stump for the state’s Republican candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, this coming Monday after appearing in Vandalia, Ohio, last weekend.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
