A new attack advertisement in the Ohio governor’s race features Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton, claiming her daughter is dishonest. The Republican candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, confirmed the ad’s origin on Tuesday evening, stating it comes from his campaign. The ad has not yet aired on television but gained attention after circulating on social media Monday night.
Responses to the ad have been sharply divided. While many Republicans hailed it as a significant revelation, some Democrats and fellow Republicans criticized Ramaswamy for crossing a line in a campaign already labeled one of the ugliest in the nation. Philip Stearns, Dr. Acton’s brother, condemned the advertisement as “despicable.”
Ramaswamy’s campaign plans to invest $4 million to distribute the advertisement statewide, according to reports. In the ad, Arthur states, “Don’t let her become your governor. If you think she’ll make your life better, you’re fooling yourself.”
Throughout her campaign and during her tenure as the director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Acton has shared details about her challenging childhood, including bouts of homelessness and sexual abuse by her stepfather. In a 2019 interview, Dr. Acton disclosed that between the ages of 9 and 12, she was molested, and her stepfather faced charges of rape in 1978 after a police report was filed by her biological father. While officials in the Youngstown area could not immediately provide records from that time, Dr. Acton’s campaign submitted documents revealing her stepfather was indicted but never stood trial, passing away in Pennsylvania in 2004.
In 2020, Arthur publicly criticized her daughter’s claims of childhood homelessness, suggesting they were overstated, and expressed her support for her husband, who had been arrested. The two women have not communicated since a court appearance in 1978, following which Dr. Acton and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody.
Stearns asserted in a statement that their mother remained married to Dr. Acton’s abuser until his death and labeled Ramaswamy’s campaign actions as “desperate” and “disgusting.” Ramaswamy’s campaign did not provide clarity on the ad but noted Arthur was not compensated for her participation.
At a campaign event, Ramaswamy described Dr. Acton as a “serial fabulist” and remarked on the tension between her and her mother. In an interview with Spectrum News, Dr. Acton explained her refusal to debate Ramaswamy, stating she would not “normalize” his approach to her past experiences.
In the wake of the attack ad, the Acton campaign released a counter-ad featuring Stearns discussing their family’s history of abuse. By Tuesday evening, significant backlash against Ramaswamy had arisen, including heckling at a campaign rally and criticism from political figures such as former Trump adviser David Urban.
In a separate controversy, Democrats criticized Ramaswamy for a previous advertisement featuring a man convicted of child sexual abuse, which his campaign later indicated had been altered, although reports suggested it continued to run unchanged. As the race progresses, experts express uncertainty about the lasting impact of such ads, noting that many voters may have already made their decisions for the upcoming election.
