Prosecutor Says Man Accused of Charging Ohio Candidate Wanted to Ask Questions

The man had weapons but never brandished them, authorities said.

Election 2026 Ohio Governor

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton was not harmed in Sunday’s incident. (Jay LaPrete/AP)

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI and JAMIE STENGLE

CANFIELD, Ohio — An armed man accused of charging toward Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton during a campaign stop at a fair was trying to ask the Democrat questions, a prosecutor said during the man’s arraignment Tuesday.

No one has publicly said what 38-year-old Patrick Havas wanted to ask Acton, but authorities have said he never brandished or unholstered the weapons he had on him and they haven’t found any threats in a search of his cellphone. As he charged toward Acton, authorities said, he knocked down two people before troopers stopped him.