Ohio labor unions endorse Acton, Ramaswamy campaign responds with criticism of her record

Four labor unions endorsed Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton on Thursday, and her presumptive Republican challenger responded by criticizing her record as the state’s top health official during the pandemic until she left her post.

Among the unions were two chapters of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees. The United Auto Workers, the United Steelworkers, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the Communications Workers of America and the Lima Building Trade also endorsed Acton, according to Cleveland.com.

“I pledge to you that you will get whatever you need to be victorious next year. That means money, marbles and chalk,” Lee Saunders, the union’s national president, told Acton.

On Thursday, Acton criticized Ramaswamy for arguing that unions for federal workers and local-level teachers’ unions shouldn’t exist.

“He wants to eliminate many unions, the ones he doesn’t like,” she said. “He has said that absolutely he will end teachers’ unions, but we know what that means. We know it’s the beginning and who they’re coming for next.”

Chief campaign strategist for Ramaswamy, Jai Chabria, responded to Acton by criticizing her in turn.

“It’s no surprise that the adults who wanted the government to shut down schools, no matter the cost to our kids, are full-throatedly behind the person who shut down schools, doing untold damage to a generation of Ohio’s children,” he said.

Ramaswamy also previously refused to directly respond to Acton’s criticism regarding his suggestion that schools in Ohio should be “year-round,” instead criticizing Acton’s COVID-19-related decisions.

“Dr. Lockdown caused Ohio to be the *first* state to shut down our public schools & lied about the COVID death rates to justify it, even as private schools stayed open,” he wrote. “Those kids in our public schools will never get those years back, while @amyactonoh preaches about ‘inequality.’”

President Donald Trump previously endorsed Ramaswamy for governor, writing on Truth Social that Ramaswamy will “fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Advance Election Integrity and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.”

The Ohio Laborers’ District Council also endorsed Ramaswamy.

Ohio.News also previously reported that Ramaswamy shattered expectations by raising between $8.5 million and $9.7 million in the first four to five months of his gubernatorial campaign.

“Raising this historic amount in just four months sends a powerful message: Ohioans are eager for bold, transformative leadership,” Ramaswamy Campaign Manager Jonathan Ewing said.