Former Ohio health director Amy Acton says she's considering a run for governor in 2026.

FILEIn this file photo from Oct. 6, 2020, Jane Timken, the Chairwoman of the Ohio Republican Party, speaks at the Hamilton County Board of Elections during early voting in Norwood, Ohio. Timken, who has been linked closely to Donald Trump, stepped down Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 as the party's chair, a signal of her interest in running for the U.S. Senate for the seat being left by the GOP's Rob Portman. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)CINCINNATI – An Ohio Republican linked closely to Donald Trump stepped down Friday as the party’s chair, a signal of her interest in running for the U.S. Senate for the seat being left by the GOP’s Rob Portman. With Trump’s backing, Jane Timken took over the party leadership from a state chair allied with former Gov. In her last Tweet before her announcement, Timken criticized Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio Republican, for voting for Trump's impeachment.

Mike DeWine in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic made her something of a folk hero and role model for Ohio girls. Kasich has said he won't run, but Johnson warned Kasich would try to get an “elitist” elected to the seat. AdFormer Treasurer Kevin Boyce and state House Democratic leader Rep. Emilia Sykes, who both are Black, are among other potential Democratic contenders. Acton’s political experience is limited, and involves volunteering for former President Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic primary campaign in Ohio. Cranley said the emerging prospect of a strong Democratic battle for the Senate seat is good news for other statewide candidates.

If seeing is believing, then an ad released by the Ohio Department of Health makes one of the most compelling cases yet for social distancing. The idea behind social distancing is to avoid having close contact with everyone but our immediate families, which should slow the spread of the disease long enough to keep us from overwhelming our hospitals. On Thursday, Ohio’s health department posted a 30-second video on its Facebook page. The clip is captioned with the words: “Social distancing works. We are all #InThisTogetherOhio.”It shows what happens when a ping pong ball is dropped into a field of mouse traps and then what happens when the same demonstration is done but with the mouse traps spaced out.