Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor of Ohio, is facing criticism from within his own party after launching an attack advertisement targeting his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, less than two weeks before the November 3 election.
The commercial, which Ramaswamy's campaign plans to spend $4 million promoting, features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur. In the video, Arthur calls her daughter a liar and disputes Acton's accounts of experiencing poverty and living in a tent during childhood. The ad does not mention that the two have been estranged since 1978, when 12-year-old Acton was removed from her mother's custody after her stepfather was charged with raping her. The stepfather pleaded not guilty, failed to appear in court, and died without ever facing trial, while Arthur remained married to him.
Acton’s campaign responded by detailing her background and releasing a video featuring her brother, Phil Stearns. “I received a lot of abuse, but Amy always got the worst of it,” Stearns said. Court records and contemporaneous news reports corroborate key parts of Acton’s childhood account, and FactCheck.org confirmed records linking her stepfather to the campground where the family stayed.
The advertisement has prompted sharp divisions among prominent Republicans. Donald Trump described the commercial as “very powerful” and encouraged Ramaswamy to keep broadcasting it, while Vice President JD Vance told fellow Republicans to focus on the campaign. Conversely, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and urged Ramaswamy to withdraw it, although he maintained his endorsement of the candidate. Ohio Senator Jon Husted has also distanced himself from the broadcast.
Ramaswamy has refused to pull the commercial. The 41-year-old businessman and former biotechnology executive entered the gubernatorial contest with Trump's backing following an unsuccessful bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Acton, a 60-year-old physician, served as director of the Ohio Department of Health under DeWine and gained prominence managing the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Neither contender has previously held elected office.
The fallout appears to have altered the trajectory of the campaign. Acton has maintained a lead in recent polling and received a $500,000 donation from MK Pritzker, the wife of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. On Friday, the Cook Political Report revised its assessment of the race from a toss-up to leaning toward Acton, citing the backlash. Republicans have controlled the Ohio governorship since 2011, and an Acton victory would make her the state's first Democratic governor in two decades.
