Options for Governor and Lieutenant Governor
These options are paired like President and Vice President at the Federal level, and are in the order they appear on the ballot:
Amy Acton and David Pepper
Amy Acton for Governor
Lives in Bexley, Ohio; from Youngstown, Ohio
Political Experience:
2019-2020: Director of the Ohio Department of Public Health
Education:
Bachelor’s from Youngstown State University
1990: Graduated Northeast Ohio Medical University
Master’s in Public Health from The Ohio State University
Trained at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Awards:
2015: Excellence in Teaching Award, The Ohio State University College of Public Health
2020: Spirit of Columbus Award from the Columbus Foundation
2021: Profile in Courage Award, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
2022: Ohio Honoree, USA TODAY’s Women of the Year
Professional experience:
Amy Acton was named as president and chief executive officer of RAPID 5
Director of Project LOVE (Love Our kids, Vaccinate Early)
Grants Manager for the Columbus Foundation
Associate Professor of Public Health for The Ohio State University
Website and links: actonforgovernor.com
David Pepper for Lieutenant Governor
Lives in Cincinnati; from Cincinnati
Political Experience:
2015-2021: Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party
2014: Ran for Ohio Attorney General, lost to Mike DeWine (R), Pepper received 38.5 percent of the vote
2010: Ran for Ohio Auditor; lost to Dave Yost (R), Pepper received 44.9 percent of the vote
2009-2010: President of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners
2007-2010: Hamilton County Commissioner
2005: Ran for Mayor of Cincinnati; lost to Mark Mallory (D), Pepper received 48.2 percent of the vote
2001-2005: Cincinnati City Council
Pepper has written a number of books dealing with politics:
The People’s House. 2016
The Wingman. 2018
The Voter File. 2020
Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines. 2021
A Simple Choice. 2022
The Fifth Vote. 2023
Education:
Bachelor of Arts from Yale
J.D. from Yale Law School
2015: Excellence in Teaching Award, The Ohio State University College of Public Health
2020: Spirit of Columbus Award from the Columbus Foundation
2021: Profile in Courage Award, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
2022: Ohio Honoree, USA TODAY’s Women of the Year
Professional experience: (Dates were unclear)
2024-2025: Senior Fellow at the Kettering Foundation
Adjunct Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law
Worked for Cincinnati law firms Squire Sanders and Blank Rome
1999: David clerked for the Honorable Nathaniel Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Website and links: davidpepper.com and actonforgovernor.com
