Ohio Governor Criticises Ramaswamy Attack Ad Featuring Acton's Estranged Mother

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, has said Vivek Ramaswamy was “wrong” to release a campaign ad attacking Democratic rival Amy Acton that features Acton's estranged mother. The ad is the work of Ramaswamy's campaign, which has confirmed it. The Guardian

The ad shows Donna Arthur calling her daughter a liar and saying Acton should not be put in charge of Ohio. The campaign said it would spend $4 million to air the ad across the state. Acton leads Ramaswamy in recent polls of the race for governor.

Acton has said she has not seen her mother for decades. She said Arthur married a man who sexually abused her when she was 12, and that Arthur stayed with him after police intervened. Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, said he and his sister were removed from Arthur's custody after their stepfather was arrested. He called the ad “a despicable low.”

DeWine called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and urged the campaign to take it down. President Donald Trump rebuked DeWine, saying he was “disloyal to the Republican party,” and urged Ramaswamy to keep the ad up. Truth Social

Vice President JD Vance was asked about the ad's appropriateness and said, “Whether the ad was appropriate or not is not really my concern.”