COLUMBUS, Ohio — Crowds could be heard outside the Ohio Statehouse on Monday during Gov. Mike DeWine’s daily press conference on the coronavirus pandemic yelling “Re-open Ohio!” and “OH-IO, Acton’s got to go!”, referring to Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton.

Melissa Ackison, a small business owner and conservative activist from Marysville who is currently a candidate in the Republican primary for the 26th district Ohio Senate seat, participated in the protest and could be heard on live video posted to Facebook partaking in both chants.

“USA! USA! USA! USA!” Ackison is heard cheering along with dozens of other protesters. “Open Ohio now! Open Ohio now!” Ackison chanted on the way to the statehouse.

Several protesters were seen wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats and holding signs with the text “Open Ohio!” and “Fire Acton!”

Ackison then used a megaphone to deliver a speech in which she called DeWine and Acton “tyrants.”

“This is our republic! These men and women are tyrants! My husband and my son were confronted by the police last week for simply trying to make a living, all the while these politicians are being paid from our tax dollars! They aren’t suffering! We are suffering! This is an uprising! Stand up, demand answers! They’re not showing you the data, they aren’t showing you the facts, they are using tyranny, they are using fear tactics! Enough is enough! This is our damn republic! No more!” Ackison shouted from the steps outside of the statehouse.

Ackison’s speech was followed by chants of “Show us the data!”

Ackison, who is running against current State Rep. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) in the GOP primary for the 26th district state senate seat, has previously called for Gov. DeWine’s impeachment over his response to the coronavirus pandemic, including the stay-at-home order and reworking of Ohio’s primary election that was originally scheduled for March 17.

“When will Governor/Dr. Do the RIGHT THING and get OHIO BACK TO WORK!” Ackison stated in a Facebook post Tuesday evening. “Stop the propaganda and fear mongering and get OUR PATRIOTS back to WORK Dewine!”

Additionally, Ackison called on Fran DeWine, the First Lady of Ohio, to “fire up the oven” and “bake a cake and celebrate with an ice cream social.”

Ackison has previously accused Dr. Amy Acton, who was appointed to direct the Ohio Department of Health by DeWine in 2019, of being an “Obama holdover” and claimed she “fundraised for Planned Parenthood.”

“This is our republic. Not theirs. Again, Dr. Amy Acton making decisions for the state of Ohio, is the same doctor, the same woman who issued the license not once, but twice, to radical late-term abortionists,” Ackison claimed. “Yet her specialty is supposed to be infant mortality. How does that work? This is rigged.”

DeWine’s actions have been recognized as some of the most aggressive throughout the country, with The Washington Post writing that his response has become a “national guide to the crisis.” His administration has closed K-12 schools, issued a stay-at-home order for non-essential tasks, ordered the closure of businesses deemed non-essential, and more.

The 26th district state senate seat includes Seneca, Sandusky, Marion, Morrow, Crawford, Wyandot, and Union counties. It is currently represented by Sen. Dave Burke (R-Marysville), who is term-limited and has endorsed Reineke for the seat.

Whoever wins the Republican primary — Ackison or Reineke — will go on to face Democratic challenger Craig Swartz, of Upper Sandusky, in the general election for the 26th district state senate seat.

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