“I know many of us are tired of the vitriol and hate,” Acton, a Democrat, said in a release Tuesday announcing that she was no longer considering a Senate run.
The statement alluded to the coronavirus pandemic crisis and the difficulties it inflicted on the state.
“We are weary from the battle,” Acton said. “No one has gone untouched and much has been exposed and revealed. Yet as we cautiously re-emerge this spring, we dare to hope that a new way is possible. The opportunity for repairing and reimagining is at hand: a rebirth for ourselves, our relationships, and for the institutions of our civil society. What happens next isn’t the sole province of our elected officials. It is up to all of us. We must co-create an Ohio that ensures the enduring cultural values of kindness and justice for all.”
Acton had said in February that she was considering a run. Had she proceeded, she might have faced a Jewish Republican, Josh Mandel, in the race to replace incumbent Republican Rob Portman, who is retiring.
Mandel, a former state treasurer, is running for the third time, this time solidly in the camp of former President Donald Trump.