Ohio governor-elect discusses childhood abuse and empathy for people she will serve

Ohio governor-elect Amy Acton has spoken about surviving childhood abuse and how those experiences shape her understanding of the people she has been elected to serve. In an interview, she described abuse by her stepfather and other early hardships without presenting them as separate from the struggles faced by many families.

The discussion follows an election campaign in which her childhood became a national issue after her opponent's advertising featured her estranged mother. Acton said seeing the advertisement brought new information about her early life and was painful. She has also described people approaching her to share their own experiences of abuse.

Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor's race. She is due to take office in January and has said she wants to work across party lines, including appointing at least one Republican to her cabinet. Those are plans for her administration, not appointments already completed.

Her early policy priorities include living costs, corruption, public-school funding and healthcare. The interview connects her account of adversity with her approach to public service, while the practical details of her administration remain part of the transition ahead.