India, Oct. 30 -- For Amy Acton, politics has never been entirely divorced from medicine. Over the course of her professional life, she has worked as a hospital administrator, taught in the classroom, and worked in public health and community outreach, both within and outside the state. But the underlying theme that has remained constant is the question of what happens when a part of the population is unable to get the help it needs.

That ethos now lies at the heart of the 60-year-old Democrat's campaign to become the next governor of Ohio. Acton first gained national recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic as director of the Ohio Department of Health, serving under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Now, she is hoping to convince voters that...