Voters Make Their Support for Dr. Acton Clear as RunAmy.run Petition Campaign Gains Momentum

March 17, 2021

PHILADELPHIA — Today, following the launch of RunAmy.run, a grassroots campaign to encourage former Ohio health director Dr. Amy Acton to run for U.S. Senate, 314 Action Fund released the results of new polling that shows Dr. Acton with strong favorability and an early lead in the state’s 2022 Democratic primary.

The poll, which was performed by Public Policy Polling on behalf of 314 Action Fund, shows 64% of Ohio Democratic primary voters view Dr. Amy Acton favorably. The same poll shows that 79% of Ohio Democratic primary voters approve of the state’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with 86% of respondents holding favorable opinions of scientists and public health professionals.

These polling results also show Dr. Acton with a strong lead on potential primary election competition. Dr. Acton holds a 24% lead in net favorability over Congressman Tim Ryan, whose net favorability rating among Ohio Democratic primary voters is just 35%. If the Democratic candidates in Ohio’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate were just Dr. Acton and Congressman Ryan, Dr. Acton holds a 5% lead over Congressman Ryan among polled voters, polling outside the margin of error of 3.5%.

The polling toplines can be viewed here.

“If Democrats are going to win statewide in Ohio in 2022, career politicians who have been on the ballot for decades aren’t going to get the job done,” said John Sweeney, spokesperson for 314 Action Fund. “Dr. Amy Acton’s science-first, evidence-based approach to policymaking saved lives when she was in charge of Ohio’s pandemic response. Amy fought for Ohioans in the face of the country’s worst public health crisis in a century, and she’ll continue to fight for them in the U.S. Senate.”

Last week, 314 Action Fund began circulating a petition at RunAmy.Run where signers can encourage Dr. Acton to jump into the Ohio U.S. Senate race and pledge their support. This six-figure digital investment will serve as the foundation for building the strong grassroots base necessary for Dr. Acton to run and win. 

Should Dr. Acton enter the race, 314 Action Fund is committed to using its vast resources and six-million-strong membership base of grassroots donors to ensure that she is the Democratic nominee in this crucial race. During the 2020 election cycle, 314 Action Fund collected hundreds of thousands of signatures to successfully draft scientists Sen. Mark Kelly and Sen. John Hickenlooper to run for U.S. Senate and raised millions of dollars in grassroots donations for their campaigns. In the same cycle, 314 Action Fund’s independent expenditure arm spent over $11.5 million, including significant expenditures in several primary contests.

In 2022, 314 Action Fund will aim to spend $50 million to elect scientists across all levels of government, with initial targets of seven U.S. Senate races, thirty-nine U.S. House races, and twenty-one statewide races. In 2020, the organization spent $25 million on behalf of its endorsed candidates and raised a total of $5 million in grassroots donations for scientists running for office.

###

314 Action Fund is powered by a grassroots community of nearly six million people working to elect scientists, doctors, and STEM professionals who will use science and facts to address our most pressing issues like climate change and health care. In 2018 and 2020, we played a pivotal role in flipping the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, electing eleven Democratic scientists to federal office, as well as over 100 to key legislative districts. In 2021 and 2022, 314 Action Fund will continue working to elect science leaders and defeat climate deniers in Congress and legislatures across the country.