Ohio’s leading statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights and legal organization, Equality Ohio, has officially altered its evaluation of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton, raising her ranking from a temporary "Pending" status to a "B" grade on its 2026 Candidate Scorecard.
The recent update marks the latest shift in the advocacy group’s assessment of Acton, a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health. Earlier in the election cycle, Acton held an "A" rating from the organization. However, Equality Ohio revised that score to "Pending" on July 28 following public statements she made regarding transgender student-athletes and competitive sports policies.
The controversy originated from comments Acton delivered to the Toledo Blade on June 30 concerning a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld state-level restrictions on transgender athletes. During that interview, Acton voiced support for existing statutory limits, stating that she did not support boys playing in girls' sports and affirming that she would enforce Ohio's established laws as governor. She added that her stance was guided by her background as a public servant, medical doctor, and parent dedicated to fairness and protecting youth health and safety.
Following widespread attention surrounding those remarks, Equality Ohio moved Acton's grade to "Pending," noting at the time that her standing would remain under review until the candidate chose to demonstrate meaningful engagement and forward progress on the matter. The group quietly updated its online scorecard on a recent Thursday to reflect the newly assigned "B" designation.
Alongside the updated score, Equality Ohio published an explanatory note stating that the adjustment from an "A" to a "B" stemmed from Acton’s June 30 remarks and was intended to reflect ongoing, unresolved concerns regarding her commitment to transgender Ohioans. The scorecard rationale omitted any specific mention of the intermediate "Pending" status or concrete remedial actions taken by the campaign.
Dwayne Steward, the executive director and CEO of Equality Ohio, later clarified the rationale behind the updated assessment. Steward noted that the organization's definition of a "B" grade corresponds to a candidate with an "insufficient record but supportive public statements." The rating is intended to reflect specific community concerns regarding transgender protections while taking into account her wider public record and policy stances.
Steward also confirmed that although representatives from Acton’s campaign had engaged in discussions with the organization, a requested direct meeting with Acton herself had not occurred. Furthermore, Steward indicated that Equality Ohio was unable to confirm meaningful direct outreach between Acton’s campaign and members of the transgender community across Ohio.
Acton’s current "B" evaluation contrasts sharply with the score assigned to her Republican general election opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy. Equality Ohio has maintained an "F" grade for Ramaswamy, defining his standing as indicative of a poor record on civil rights and a platform likely to harm LGBTQ+ protections. A third gubernatorial contender, Libertarian nominee Don Kissick, is currently unrated on the scorecard.
The decision to grant Acton a passing "B" grade has drawn public pushback from within the state's LGBTQ+ political community. Ari Childrey, an openly transgender candidate seeking election to the Ohio House of Representatives in the 84th District, issued a sharp condemnation of Equality Ohio’s scoring revision.
Childrey, who earned an "A+" rating and the formal designation of "Champion of Equality" on the same scorecard, argued that easing the grading criteria undermines candidates who consistently advocate for transgender civil rights. She stated that awarding a favorable grade to a candidate who endorsed exclusionary policies and misgendered transgender youth sent a damaging message about the seriousness of anti-trans rhetoric in statewide politics.
Drawing a historical parallel, Childrey compared the current situation to the 2007 debate when the national Human Rights Campaign backed federal non-discrimination legislation that omitted explicit protections for transgender individuals. Expressing disillusionment with the scorecard's consistency, Childrey announced that she would no longer accept or promote her own "A+" rating from Equality Ohio.
Childrey added that candidates should rely on their authentic records and dedication to human dignity rather than institutional scores influenced by political calculations. She maintained that her own legislative campaign would be judged directly by voters and members of the transgender community rather than organizational metrics.
The scorecard revision took place shortly before a major security scare involving Acton at the Canfield Fair. During the campaign event, an armed man pushed through a crowded gathering toward Acton, knocking several people to the ground before being intercepted and restrained by her Ohio State Highway Patrol security detail. Acton emerged from the encounter unharmed.
Law enforcement authorities subsequently reported that the suspect was carrying two handguns, a Taser, and brass knuckles, though he did not brandish the weapons during the incident. The man has since entered a plea of not guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges, including assault, inducing panic, and disorderly conduct, as investigators continue to examine his background and underlying motive.
Throughout the review process regarding her LGBTQ+ scorecard rating, Acton’s campaign has provided limited public comment on the matter. Media inquiries seeking clarification on her engagement with advocacy groups have resulted only in standardized statements regarding scheduling constraints and invitations to general open press events across the state.
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