VIDEO: Did Amy Acton forget she is the governor-elect?

In a CNN interview, Amy Acton talked about her opponent. Did she forget that Ohioans elected her governor last week?

During a Nov. 9 appearance on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, the namesake host seemed to have to remind her that she is the governor-elect after defeating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy on Nov. 3.

“My opponent talks a lot about whining,” Acton said. “His PAC is called ‘Victors, not Victims.’ But I’ve never seen anyone whine more.”

“So, I just think that…,” Acton said before Tapper stepped in.

“He’s not your opponent anymore,” Tapper said.

“… That’s a great point. He is not,” Acton responded.

Governor-elect @AmyActonOH: My opponent talks a lot about whining. His PAC is called ‘Victors, not Victims.’ But I’ve never seen anyone whine more.

Jake Tapper: He’s not your opponent anymore.

Acton: That’s a great point. He is not.

Tapper: You beat him.

Acton: Soundly. pic.twitter.com/S5Dlb77f98

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) November 10, 2026

Acton eschewed media opportunities during the campaign, and her team barred video and audio recording at campaign events, leading to criticism. Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health who quit amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has also steadfastly refused to debate her Republican opponent, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

The decisions didn’t impact her campaign. The latest viral CNN clip is also hardly the first time an Acton appearance has raised eyebrows for remarks she’s made.

On the eve of the election, clips of the then-Democratic gubernatorial nominee seemingly mistaking a private jet for a Jeep went viral. Acton appeared to be throwing shade at Ramaswamy.

“Not in a big Jeep flying over like Ohio’s a fly — I mean in a big jet. He’s flying in a Jeep,” Acton said in the clip, filmed at a campaign event in Toledo.

During the campaign, she also faced scrutiny over two police calls to her home — one in 2013 and another in 2019. While the legacy media covered the 2019 call, reporters largely ignored the earlier call.

Acton, who is set to be sworn into office on Jan. 11, faces an immediate test as she’s due to unveil her executive budget by March 15. Her office did not respond to a request from Ohio.News to clarify what she is expected to ask lawmakers to allocate.

Following her election, Acton promised to work with “anyone and everyone” to improve the state. However, “anyone and everyone” apparently does not include Ramaswamy, as the governor-elect said during a Nov. 6 CBS Mornings interview that she has no intention of speaking with Ramaswamy.