The MeidasTouch Podcast - Can a Democrat Win Ohio’s Governor Race? Dr. Amy Acton Says Yes

Episode Date: November 15, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Republicans and Independents in Ohio turning against Trump and MAGA ahead of the critical 2026 governor’s race, as Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton surges past MAGA candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Meiselas also interviews Dr. Acton about the race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Gambling problem call connects Ontario 1866-531-260-19 and over. Physically present in Ontario. Eligibility restrictions apply. See Golden Nuggettcasino.com for details. Please play responsibly. Ohio is absolutely livid. Donald Trump and his regime, will Ohio turn blue? We're going to find out in a governor's race coming up in 2026. That video I showed you at the outset is from southeastern Ohio, an area

usually viewed as Trump country, but Trump has screwed them over so badly. When you look at the latest polling of Donald Trump in Ohio, he is underwater. Right now, 50s. 51% of people in Ohio disapprove of Donald Trump. Actually, about 52% or so. The latest poll shows only a 40% approval that may dip down into the 30s in Ohio. Also, the current governor of Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine. His approval rating is only 32%. Ohio despises its current MAGA leadership.

And Ohio's being run by Republicans and being run into the ground. Let me just take a look at another video. That first video I showed you was from the No Kings protest in southeastern Ohio. Let me show you what went down at Park in Cincinnati. Let's play this clip right here. Patron is wrong. The neighborhood is strong. The neighborhood is strong.

So there is a major governor's race taking place in 2026. Dr. Amy Acton is. way up with independent voters against the perceived Maga Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswami plus 19 over Vivek Vamaswamy Ramoswamy in the bowling green poll. Also there is a heart poll where if the election were to have taken place right now, Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate, she would be leading by one point and she would become the next governor of Ohio, finally flipping that governorship back to blue.

You just take a look at the net favorables, Dr. Amy Acton, who she used to run like the Department of Health in Ohio. She's a physician, very well-known person, very well-respected person in the area. Her net favorables plus 14, Vivegram-Swamy, plus one amongst all voters. But here's the thing,

and I think this is what we're really seeing. Amongst independent voters, acting plus 21%. Vivek Ramoswamy, negative 14%. And I think this election coming up in Ohio is going to be won or lost with those independent voters and, of course, got to fire up that Democratic base right now. Just think Americans see what this Trump regime is doing, whether it is Farmageddon,

destroying the lives of farmers, construction workers, manufacturing is down. Trump's trade war against the world has had a devastating impact on Ohio. Trump ripping away health care from people in Ohio. People in Ohio remember and know what Donald Trump tried to do with SNAP benefits. They see rural hospitals being threatened. They see their Medicaid being threatened. They see that their premiums are going to be skyrocketing on affordable care,

skyrocketing an Affordable Care Act plans because Trump and MAGA refuses to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies. Take a look right here. This is big, folks. Dr. Amy Acton says polling shows Republicans are crossing over to support her Ohio gubernatorial run. Ohio Democrats feeling optimistic a year out from the governor's race there in Ohio. They also looked at those results in Virginia, Spamberger with a big victory right there. In New Jersey, Mikey Cheryl, big victory there. Prop 50 in California. But when you looked around, also at the demographic shifts, at independent voters, what they were doing in red districts in New Jersey and Virginia. Go even look at those statewide races in Georgia, people overwhelmingly

voting blue. And you took a look at the latest national Republican congressional committee polls. They have Democrats surging ahead in the midterms. So what Governor Acton's team is saying is that they believe they have the best chance in 20 years to make significant gains at the State House and some key statewide races. It's starting to feel like it's not a Democrat, Republican, or independent issue. Dr. Amy Acton says it's extreme wealth, power, and ideology versus taking care of all things that every day Ohioans care about. And a new poll this week from the Ohio Federation of Teachers shows Acton leading Republican

candidate Vivek Ramaswamy by a 46 to 45 margin. We're beating him quite a bit amongst independent, she said, and we're seeing a lot of Republicans crossing over as well. I want to share this with you as well to give you a little bit of background on Dr. Amy Acton. Here's what she posted. Ohioans feel squeezed by high costs in every part of their lives. Growing up without stable housing, reliable meals, or basic necessities, I understand what

that's like. As a governor, I will fight to make life more affordable for everyday Ohioans so we can have a little bit of breathing room. Affordability, affordability. While Trump and Vivek and MAGA are saying, what are we talking about? Prices are down. Everybody's living the golden age. Everybody's rich. Real Americans aren't feeling that.

Americans are suffering under this Trump regime. And let me show you this incredible video that Dr. Amy Acton posted. Let's play it. I am laser focused on Ohioans. and solving the problems of their lives. You know, as I said, I've lived through a thing or two in my life. I know what it is like to be hungry. I know what it is like to not have housing and live in a tent in the middle of winter.

My entire career has been as a public servant and a doctor. Amy Acton will tell you she is more than optimism. She's a determined campaigner who's been on the road for at least a year, listening and talking to Ohioans about their problems. It starts out with gas and groceries that we all know have gotten higher. Health care right now, you know, there are parts of the state you have to go an hour and 15 minutes to deliver a baby or have a cavity filled. Agriculture, somebody has to work off the farm to actually be able to have health insurance and the costs are going up as we all know. I want to bring in Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio.

And I know you're so humble, so just give me 45 more seconds, Doc, so I can. just tell people about your background. You grew up in Youngstown with a family who worked in steel mills, faced a difficult childhood overcoming abuse, hunger, and periods of homelessness, and that really molded who you are. You worked as a waitress, delivered newspapers. You worked your way out of, I'm going, I'm going, worked your way out of poverty, put yourself through college and medical school, and then you were appointed by Governor DeWine and he was a Republican. This is in a bipartisan way to become the director of the Ohio Department of Public Health, putting partisanship aside and kind of leading people through the most

difficult times there. And now you said, look, it's my time to serve in Ohio. And so welcome to the Midas Touch. Welcome to the Midas Touch show. And we'd love to let's just talk about what we're seeing there and the trend of this crossover voters. What do you see in there, Dr. Ben, thank you so much for having me. Long time fan and honestly, just a thrill to be here. I never imagined. I would be here as you were saying. My life, I'm almost 40 years now a physician in the field of preventive medicine and public health. But I have been a lifelong public servant trying to address some of the most wicked hard problems we face. And it has taken me over the last year to two on the road, listening deeply to Ohioans.

They are showing up. In crowds, we just can't believe. Everyone keeps telling me they're seeing people they have never seen before, and you're right, it does not know party. And people are not talking about the stuff we hear so loudly, the culture wars. They are talking about the fact that they are longing for public servants again who solve problems instead of make problems. They are longing.

They don't much care about party. They want you to talk about the affordability, as you are. saying in that clip of everyday life, you know, absolutely it is groceries and gas. My husband and I myself noticed our energy bill go up by $150 this month. This is affecting everyone, but it is housing. It is child care. It is aging in place with dignity. We have property taxes escalating because we have a very corrupt statehouse that has been taking the state backwards and not addressing the root issues that Ohioans care about. And I can tell you, Everywhere I go, Ben, people are ready for a change.

And across party lines, what's so interesting about the campaign, the same way you've led a Department of Health there in a nonpartisan way, I mean, the topics that you're talking about, whether it's affordability, education, health care, these things see no, it's not tethered to like a party. It's like, are people going to live? Are they going to be able to afford their rent? can they buy a home? When they work a job, will they be paid with dignity and be able to support their family or will they be psychologically tortured, living paycheck to paycheck?

What's going on with farmers? What's going on with construction and manufacturing? These tariffs, everybody knows against the world, have not been a net positive. And then there's this gaslighting coming from, I think, the Magaside, where they say, you're all doing good. Great. Isn't this the best? And we're all like, no, we're not. Why you keep saying that? It's not good. Talk to us about that. Well, you know, I'm running against a guy, Vivek Ramaswamy, who literally has said that people are struggling in Ohio because, you know, they're lazy. They're mediocre. They're not working hard enough. And I can absolutely tell you that that is not the Ohioans I know or see. I think he's completely out of touch. He has spent the last year actually going for some of the opponents of people I was for, the two women who just won amazing races.

He's hardly ever in Ohio. He's flying around in his private jet while we are literally driving around in an old Jeep. And listening deeply. We are going everywhere. And I think that is something we're doing a little bit differently in this campaign. We're going places I think candidates haven't been in a while. And we've been listening deeply for a while. And listen, I'm running for governor because people in my state are struggling, and I refuse to look the other way while these bad actors, special interests, and lobbyists keep taking our state in the wrong direction in nearly every measure.

Our state did not used to be this way. We used to have some of the best health outcomes in the country where the seventh largest state. We now live shorter, less healthy lives in neighboring states. And as that clip said, you have to go an hour and 15 minutes. minutes in many parts of my state to deliver a baby or to have your child's cavity filled. The attacks on Medicaid or crushing are already struggling rural hospitals. We used to be one of the best educated states in this country. We were in the top measures.

My opponent literally just took $10 million from a guy named Yoss in Philadelphia who wants to end public schools as we know it. He has outwardly said he wants to end teachers unions. I'm married to a 43-year public school elementary school teacher and a coach. And literally public schools save my life as a kid. You know, my state house just has been broken for a long time. We're heavily, lawlessly gerrymandered. And the reason they say they never work on the things that all Ohioans care about

and my opponent wants to do these same failed policies is because they say they're for the economy. But they still believe in this weird trickle-down economic. theory that has been disproven by economists over and over again. We all know that our economies are built from communities up. Good schools are part of it. Great health care, affordable housing. And our measure of economy in Ohio is our growth in GDP. We are actually 45th. And our biggest export in the state is young people. This is a travesty. This is not what we deserve. And that's why I'm running. I refuse to look the other way. I think you said something important. that I want to highlight to our audience because you don't often hear it from people running for office and we need to hear more of it, which is that you're out there listening to people, which is I think I want to see humility back in politicians to listen to what people are saying. And as you know, as a physician, if you just went to the patient and said, we're going to do this to you, then they're likely going to say, but I haven't even expressed to you.

what's going on with me. And so much I think of what we're seeing now is politicians and MAGA Republicans who control all of this using their authority to do things to people and not build up people and help people and listen and say, let me understand what you're going through. Let me diagnose it. Let me fix it. And let me help you get better. It's I'm doing this to you. And so listening to the people of Ohio, I think that clearly, whether it's the state legislature or your electeds before, have not been listening. Instead, they've been imposing Project 2025 doctrine on the state. And they've had a chance to show if that was going to work. Like they've had their opportunity, I feel.

Like they've had their test run. And it didn't work. And it didn't work. We have the results of that test run. And you're so right, you know, you know, for me, this is very personal. You know, I did grow up in Youngstown. And as you can imagine, you know, Youngstown is the song of Bruce Springsteen songs, right? This is, this was my childhood. I did have a very rough childhood. You know, a lot of abuse and a neglect. Not being hungry, not having heat working, living in a tent in the winter. I was finally removed from that situation. But I can tell you, my whole career came about because I was hard. haunted by the young people I left behind at my old schools who are just as nice, just as smart, but I watched our lives go different ways. And I thought about, you know, a lot of what it was like to feel unseen. And I think, you know, a lot of times people look the other way

because they're overwhelmed. They don't know what to do about something. And that's actually the feeling I'm seeing a lot everywhere in Ohio. People are exhausted by the chaos, the hate, the vitriol. They are absolutely longing for these public servants again. And, you know, more for my childhood, and this is a big theme in my campaign, about all of us, you know, linking arms together to not look the other way in the face of extreme wealth, power, and ideology against all the rest of us. And when you're a kid growing up hungry, you know, I remember a couple who would pull my brother and I up on the porch walking to school just to feed us breakfast. because they knew we were hungry.

And when I was recently meeting with superintendents on both sides of the aisle, I asked them if there's one thing you wish a governor would do, what would it be besides stopping all the bad stuff our statehouse is doing? And they universally said free breakfast and lunch. And, you know, I was just at a food pantry, a drive-through food pantry last week. You know, we were watching, you know, the feds have cut all the money. Our state has cut the money so that the food banks were already struggling. I literally watched 400 cars go through a line, and then we ran out of food.

And there were 65 cars still waiting in line, another couple dozen out on the road trying to get in line. And we all literally watched all these cars drive away, empty-handed. And I can tell you by listening to people and going up and talking to folks, it was every walk of life. You know, it was furloughed employees and people living on a fixed income. It was absolutely people who didn't have their SNAP benefits. But it was, it was astonishing to, again, see that it's all of us. It's all of us. Any one of us can be in a situation at any time.

And, you know, my opponent is just absolutely reckless in his approach to these problems. And it is time for a change in my state. Before we go, Dr. Acton, where can people find out more about the campaign? if they want to learn more and where, what else do you want to say before we go to our 6 million subscribers? I'm honored if you consider following our race in Ohio. You know, I'm a doctor, not a politician, but I am a lifelong public servant. I'm up against a very famous self-funding billionaire with a lot of friends of the like.

And I would love for you to learn more about our race. I think this is going to be the standoff. I'm very lucky to be supported by a 314 act. a science-based pact that started with Mark Kelly. People are organizing in Ohio, and I'm so blessed that people are organizing all over this country to help us. We really think this is going to be a marquee race in 26 and a standoff against these special interests and bad actors. And we would absolutely love your help. Actinforgovernor.com.

I can't say enough, Ben. I'm against a guy who literally, when we called him out on, he ran for president on saying that he wanted transparent Epstein files. That was his big thing. We've got to be transparent. We've got to protect people. When he entered this race, we asked him to join us as the victims were coming forward. I'm somebody who experienced this kind of abuse as a child too. And literally, he has refused to talk to reporters for almost a hundred days now. If somebody won't stand up, up for the most awful and heinous crimes, they're absolutely not going to stand up for the rest of us on the issues of cost and affordability and what gives us a high quality of life against these

bad actors and special interests. So we are in a very, very important fight. I believe we're going to flip this state. I'm honored to be at the top of the ticket with Sherrod Brown, and we'd love to be in this fight with you. Thank you. Everybody check out Dr. Amy Acton's website. Thank you so much, Doctor for joining us. Thank you. Thank you, Ben. Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Love this video? Continue the conversation by following us on Instagram at Midas Touch and help us blow past one million followers.