COLUMBUS, Ohio — The doctor who helped Republican Gov. Mike DeWine earn the praise of experts early in the pandemic for his politically sensitive but largely effective response has resigned, the governor said Thursday.

Dr. Amy Acton’s resignation as the state’s health director caps a contentious few months as the target of frustrations that included gun-carrying critics showing up at her home. Acton was most recently sued by organizers of music festivals and restaurant owners as the slow reopening unfolds.

Acton, who called her time as health director the “honor of a lifetime,” faced House Republicans seeking to restrict her authority last month as frustrations grew over aggressive stay-at-home orders.

The governor has defended Acton, saying his fellow Republicans should be focused on increasing testing, the budget deficit and reopening the economy. “I will always believe and know that many lives were saved because of her wise advice,” DeWine said.