Ramaswamy's attack ad featuring Acton's mother sparks bipartisan backlash in Ohio race

Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign aired an attack ad on Tuesday that features the estranged mother of Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Amy Acton, accusing her of lying about a traumatic childhood. The spot, which will run through the final days before Ohio’s November 5 election, has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans who say it crosses a line.

The ad appears as the Ohio governor’s race tightens after two decades without a Democratic victor. The Cook Political Report now lists the contest as a toss‑up, and both parties are scrambling for any edge. Acton has long spoken about being removed from her mother’s care at age twelve after a stepfather was charged with child rape, and about living in a tent during a winter after her mother lost custody of her and her brother. Those details have become a focal point of the campaign, with Ramaswamy’s team hoping to cast doubt on her personal narrative while urging voters to focus on “substantive issues.”

In the commercial, Donna Arthur, Acton’s mother, says her daughter “lies about her past” and warns voters not to elect her. Ramaswamy’s voice‑over follows, saying he wants the race to be about policy and accusing Acton of “hiding” from Ohio’s problems. The campaign has spent millions to broadcast the ad statewide. Acton responded on a local talk show, reiterating that she and her brother were taken from their mother at twelve and nine, respectively, after abuse and neglect, and that her stepfather fled the state before a trial and later died. Even some Republicans, including local officials, have called the ad “distasteful” and warned it could alienate voters. Political science professor Robert Alexander of Bowling Green State University warned that the negative messaging might backfire by energizing Acton’s base in an already hostile environment for GOP candidates.

The ad’s fallout will likely shape the final weeks of the campaign. Both sides are expected to intensify their messaging, and Acton has said she will debate Ramaswamy if invited. Voters will now weigh whether the personal attack outweighs policy positions, a decision that could tip a race that has remained in Republican hands for twenty years.