Full Speech — Amy Acton remarks after winning Ohio governor race, defeating Vivek Ramaswamy

[0:04] Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. [0:06] Hello, Ohio! [0:14] Everyone, oh, it's, I am so honored to be here [0:18] with all of you, Ohio, oh. [0:45] I am so incredibly honored [0:48] that I have earned the trust of Ohioans to be. [1:12] And I want to thank all of you for your support, [1:16] your love over the last two and a half years, [1:20] but especially over the last few weeks. [1:26] It has meant the world to me and my family. [1:30] This entire, this entire campaign has been a movement [1:47] by and for the people. [1:50] This, this win is for every Ohioan who has longed, [1:57] who has longed for public servants again. [2:06] Problems instead of making them, [2:10] and who do not mistake kindness for weakness. [2:19] Because of your hard work, [2:22] Ohio has chosen unity and decency [2:26] over division and hate. [2:35] The healing begins today. [2:38] We must never give up on one another. [2:48] This was a tough race, but the campaign is over. [2:54] And, and I want to make something very clear [3:01] to the people of Ohio. [3:03] I will be a governor for all Ohioans. [3:08] I am in this fight for all of us. [3:15] My promise to Ohio, to those who voted for me, [3:21] and those who did not, is that I will work with anyone [3:25] and everyone, as I always have, [3:28] to make life better for Ohioans. [3:38] I'm incredibly honored and proud of the work I did [3:42] with Governor Mike DeWine and his team. [3:45] I look forward to continuing the work he has done [3:50] around kids, around H2Ohio, and so much more. [3:56] I look forward to working with my colleagues [3:58] in the legislature on, on both sides of the aisle [4:08] to ensure a very smooth transition. [4:14] It is time for a state house that puts Ohioans first. [4:21] Not, not special interest in corporations and billionaires. [4:26] This is a moment for courage. [4:29] Courage, I will be asking for courage. [4:33] Because we must fight for something bigger than ourselves. [4:42] Traveled this state for two and a half years. [4:44] We've listened deeply. [4:46] And when I am governor, I will continue to do this. [4:54] Your stories, your hopes and dreams, it's truly an honor. [4:59] People in this state are struggling. [5:02] They're working harder than they ever have. [5:04] There is no more breathing room. [5:06] From the grocery and gas bills, to the utilities, [5:10] to childcare, to healthcare costs. [5:13] Ohioans are doing everything right, [5:16] but they just can't get ahead. [5:19] I hear this story everywhere I go. [5:21] It isn't about party for me. [5:23] It never has been. [5:25] It is about making life better for all of us. [5:35] I know what it's like when people look the other way [5:38] when you're struggling. [5:40] As a child, I experienced abuse and neglect, [5:44] and I could have never imagined going from homeless [5:49] to being a doctor, let alone that I would be standing here, [6:01] the next governor of Ohio. [6:03] I'm here today because of the Ohioans who refused [6:28] to look the other way. [6:30] You have been refusing to look the other way. [6:33] I'm here because of a couple who pulled me and my brother up [6:37] on their front porch and fed us breakfast knowing we were hungry. [6:41] I am here because of every first responder, every teacher, [6:45] every librarian, every mentor who lifted me up [6:52] and gave me a fair shot. [6:54] So this is what drives me. [6:56] The belief that everyone, everyone deserves a chance [7:00] to reach their full potential. [7:09] I love you, too. [7:11] I love you, too. [7:14] I am, oh, I've got it. [7:16] It's unbelievable to look at you right now. [7:19] Look at the face and the joy I've been seeing in crowds [7:22] the last few weeks, watching you with one another. [7:26] This win is for all of us. [7:28] It is for all the scrappy kids, all the scrappy kids, [7:34] that have been underestimated and overlooked or counted out. [7:42] This is my promise to Ohio. [7:45] No one will ever be unseen by me. [7:55] Tonight, my heart is full. [7:57] I am filled with such gratitude and awe. [8:01] There are so many people I want to thank. [8:05] First of all, to my running mate, David Pepper. [8:20] I have to thank him so much for his relentless, [8:23] and I do mean relentless, passion and commitment [8:27] to making life better for Ohioans. [8:30] How incredible it is to have a best friend and a partner [8:34] to do this work with. [8:42] To my scrappy, hardscrabble team. [8:55] Did the impossible every single day and ran a campaign [8:59] that led with passion, hope, integrity, dignity. [9:04] We started with nothing. [9:06] Not one penny, no war chest. [9:10] And they believed in me and my mission. [9:14] Thank you for giving everything to make life better in Ohio. [9:42] Someone passed out. [9:43] We're going to hold for a minute. [23:04] Thanks, everybody, for your patience. [23:07] She's doing well now, right? [23:09] OK, good. [23:10] So thank you to our first responders and everybody in the crowd. [23:15] You guys did a great job. [23:17] Thank you. [23:19] Thank you very much. [23:21] Well, where was I in my thanking people? [23:25] All right. [23:27] I want to thank every volunteer and supporter who gave your time [23:34] and energy and your heart to help us win. [23:39] We did something different, a grassroots movement [23:47] in this campaign, thanks to Jan and Pat. [23:50] And that proved something we've lost in politics. [23:58] Relationships matter. [24:00] Communities matter. [24:03] Our neighborhoods matter. [24:07] To my brother Phil, you are the only person in the entire world [24:21] who fully understands what we endured growing up together. [24:26] And it was incredibly brave of you to share your story with the world. [24:32] Thank you from the bottom of my heart for fighting for me. [24:39] I love you so. [24:41] I do. [24:44] Thank you, Laura. [24:47] To my family, Eric and the kids, all our friends who are here. [24:53] And there are so many here. [24:54] I'm so grateful. [24:57] I love you, as my husband and I always say, forever and ever. [25:01] Most importantly, thank you, Ohio. [25:10] None of this would have been possible without us linking arms and pushing back. [25:17] Because of you, this stopped being just another campaign. [25:22] It became a movement. [25:25] And I am so grateful to every one of you. [25:28] And I'm going to be asking to more of you yet. [25:30] I have a deep belief in the resilience, the grit, and the kindness of our state. [25:38] And I wouldn't be here without it. [25:40] Ohio, thank you for trusting and believing in me. [25:47] I trust and believe in you. [25:50] It will take time to rebuild and create the Ohio we all dream of. [26:00] We didn't get here overnight. [26:02] In the days and years ahead, I'm going to be asking more of all of us. [26:07] We will heal this thing that has been broken. [26:10] And we will not give up on one another. [26:15] Please, don't give up on anyone in your life. [26:20] Even your friends, your family, people who might have voted different you. [26:26] We've got to heal this thing. [26:29] Together, we are going to make life more affordable in Ohio. [26:32] We are going to end cost corruption. [26:39] And we're going to build a state where all of us can get ahead. [26:46] Now I will work with anyone to do this. [26:50] But I want to be very clear. [27:00] I will be a relentless warrior for Ohio. [27:06] To those who might want to exploit our state or to take us back into the hate, chaos, and [27:12] vitriol, do not underestimate a scrappy kid from Youngstown. [27:25] And do not underestimate the people of Ohio. [27:36] Love Ohio. [27:37] It has always been and will always be Ohio. [27:41] We are the heart of it all. [27:44] For me, that is what this race has always been about, putting the heart back in the heart [27:51] of it all. [27:52] I want to build an Ohio that leads with integrity, with decency, where everyone can write their [28:02] own story, where every kid gets a fair shot. [28:06] I know I'm not the only one who saw a thing or two in their childhood in this room. [28:11] None of us gets out of this thing unscathed. [28:15] But our stories, Ohio's story, is one of resilience, of grit, of grace, and yes, of hope, of hope. [28:29] Hope is what drives this movement because when we are in this together, we can build the Ohio [28:36] of our dreams. [28:41] Tonight, one journey is coming to an end, but a new chapter in Ohio is beginning. [28:48] Tonight, tonight, let us celebrate. [29:15] Tomorrow, let us get to work. [29:17] Together, we're going to build an Ohio where no matter where you were born, you belong. [29:29] You can build the life of your dreams and you can be whoever you want to be, maybe even governor. [29:45] Thank you. [29:47] Thank you for trusting and believing in me. [29:49] I love you too. [29:58] I will be with you, fighting alongside of you every step of the way.