Acton Withdraws from Campaign Event Amid Controversy
Democrat Amy Acton skipped a campaign event with Randi Weingarten, citing lost voice, amid past policies criticized for harming education.
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Democrat Amy Acton, running for governor of Ohio, withdrew from a campaign event with left-wing activist Randi Weingarten over the weekend, according to the event’s host. Acton cited a lost voice as the reason for her absence, though the claim has raised questions given her past actions. Weingarten, a longtime leader of the American Federation of Teachers, had traveled to Ohio to support Acton, who is vying against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to succeed outgoing Governor Mike DeWine.
Past Policies Under Scrutiny
Acton previously served as Ohio’s Department of Health Director and was known as the state’s “COVID Czar” during the early stages of the pandemic. Under her leadership, Ohio became the first state in the nation to close all public schools in March 2020. Weingarten, who has long advocated for keeping schools closed and prioritizing teacher safety over student learning, supported these policies despite growing concerns about their impact on students.
Under Acton’s leadership, Ohio public schools faced significant challenges. A February 2021 report revealed that students in urban areas experienced higher rates of chronic absenteeism, and academic performance dropped dramatically. English language arts proficiency rates decreased by about eight percentage points, while math proficiency dropped by approximately 15 percentage points. Third-grade students showed roughly 20 percent less learning between November 2020 and April 2021 compared to previous years.
Acton’s Campaign and Weingarten’s Support
Acton resigned from her post as Ohio’s Department of Health Director in 2020, citing the “demands of the job were too great.” Now running for governor, she has enlisted Weingarten’s support, with Weingarten praising Acton’s “courage” and her “understanding of public education.” In audio obtained by Breitbart News, Weingarten said, “The courage that she had to try to navigate through COVID, the understanding about how important public education is… she feels and understands and she knows it. She lived it.”
Weingarten also praised a “No Kings” event the day before and stated that her union has deployed “a lot of staff on the ground” to help elect Acton. Following the event in Ohio, Weingarten is set to campaign in Michigan with Democrat candidate Jocelyn Benson.
Source: Breitbart
