Amy Acton's Brother Condemns Ramaswamy Over Family Abuse Allegations

A family dispute involving allegations of childhood sexual abuse has become a point of political conflict in Ohio's gubernatorial race, as Philip Stearns, the brother of Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton, publicly condemned Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for attempting to bring their estranged mother into the campaign debate.

In a statement published on Acton's campaign website on October 20, 2026, Stearns criticized Ramaswamy's handling of the family's history, focusing on the abuse Acton experienced when she was 12 years old and the circumstances surrounding her removal from her birth mother's custody.

Stearns alleged that Acton's birth mother's husband sexually abused her during childhood. He said the siblings were removed from their mother's custody after the man was arrested, while their birth mother remained married to him until his death.

Stearns directly accused Ramaswamy of exploiting the family's painful history for political purposes.

"It's not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother's husband into a political talking point," said Philip Stearns, Dr. Acton's brother. "After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy's rapist until he died. This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants."

The statement was released through Acton's campaign organization, which identified Stearns as her brother. It did not include a response from Ramaswamy or provide further details about the circumstances of his attempt to involve the family's estranged mother in the political discussion.

The controversy adds a personal dimension to the contest between Acton, a former Ohio Department of Health director, and Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate seeking the governorship. Stearns's statement centers on the family's account of past abuse and his objection to its use in campaign-related political messaging.