Armed man arrested after confronting Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee at fair on September 6

Patrick Havas, 38, of Canfield, Ohio, was arrested on September 6, 2026, after pushing through a crowd near Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair in Canfield, a suburb of Youngstown. Law enforcement recovered two handguns, a Taser, and brass knuckles from Havas, according to NBC News. Havas did not brandish the weapons or remove them from their holsters, NBC News reports.

According to NBC News, Acton was speaking to a crowd in the Mahoning County Democratic Party's tent at the fair when Havas approached with a cellphone set up to record. As Havas was entering the tent, he started pushing his way through the crowd. Acton's security detail, made up of Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, confronted Havas, and two people were knocked to the ground during the encounter, NBC News reports. Sheriff Jerry Greene told local NBC outlet 21 News that Havas knocked down two older adults.

According to NBC News, Havas was booked at the Mahoning County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and two counts of assault. The Guardian reports he is expected to be charged with assault and disorderly conduct.

Acton was not hurt and remained on-site to attend to one of the injured people, NBC News reports. Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement that he and his wife had spoken to Acton and were grateful she was not hurt.

According to NBC News, Acton faces Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy in a close race in November to determine Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's successor. Ramaswamy was also scheduled to visit the fair on September 6. Ramaswamy's spokesperson Connie Luck told NBC News that candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence, and that what happened was completely unacceptable. Sen. Jon Husted posted on X that he and his wife were disturbed by the attempted attack and grateful for law enforcement's quick response.