Ohio Democrats’ path to the governor’s office runs through rural areas that had turned against them

MARIETTA, Ohio (AP) — Speaking to a small gathering of supporters as the Ohio River flowed behind her, Dr. Amy Acton announced she was backing a three-year moratorium on permitting new injection wells for fracking in rural Washington County. Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor, is tapping into the angst as part of her appeal to conservative areas that she hopes will be part of a victory in the Republican-leaning state.“This is not a partisan issue, that we need to protect our water," she told a crowd of about two dozen gathered at a riverfront gazebo, adding that cleanup costs could be well over $1 billion.

So that's why we must act now.”She got some help during the recent appearance, Acton's fourth to the Appalachian county that hasn’t backed Democrats in years. She was joined by Susan Vessels, a prominent local Republican who had decided to forgo her own party’s nominee for governor, tech billionaire and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.Vessels, president of the city council in Marietta, praised Acton for her willingness to listen to local residents’ concerns about the risks posed by fracking.“It is a pro-drinking water position, and it should be easy for any leader to support,” Vessels said.Ramaswamy has been a strong supporter of developing American energy sources, including through fracking: “Unlock American energy. Drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear,” he said during a 2024 presidential debate.

More recently in Marietta, he said he wants an economic boom that protects Ohio’s natural resources and “the water quality of our communities.”Vessels said she and others concerned about the impacts of the injection wells have been frustrated in their attempts to get lawmakers to listen.“The fact that we have yet to receive any response from our Republican state representatives and our state senators tells me that we have a political problem and not just a scientific one,” she said.Both major candidates for governor are pursuing a rural strategyActon has been campaigning throughout Ohio, with a focus on areas that have been voting Republican, especially since President Donald Trump emerged on the political stage. It's a nod to the reality of Democrats trying to win a statewide ra…