Ramaswamy Ends Ohio Ad Featuring Acton's Estranged Mother

A controversial campaign advertisement featuring the estranged mother of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton has completed its television run in Ohio, Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed Thursday, Oct. 29. The advertisement drew bipartisan criticism for using a painful chapter of Acton's childhood as a political attack ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

The campaign said the advertisement had finished its planned run and that four other advertisements were now airing. According to NBC News and The Columbus Dispatch, Ramaswamy's campaign had committed $4 million to the advertising effort, which initially featured a one-minute spot before being shortened to 30 seconds.

The advertisement featured Donna Arthur, Acton's estranged mother, accusing her daughter of lying about her political opponent and her past. Arthur urged voters not to support Acton, but the advertisement did not address the details of the sexual abuse case involving Acton's then-stepfather.

Acton has said she has not seen her mother since 1978, when her stepfather was accused of sexually abusing her as a young child. Arthur lost custody of her children, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Ramaswamy addressed the advertisement's status during a campaign stop in Vandalia on Thursday, saying, "It ran to completion, and we've put up four other ads," according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Ramaswamy said he wanted the closing days of the campaign to focus on policy rather than the controversy surrounding the advertisement. At the Vandalia event, he also announced a plan to investigate every locality where property taxes had more than doubled since before the pandemic.

During a separate campaign appearance in Chillicothe, Ramaswamy focused on proposals to reduce property taxes and ban sanctuary cities. He did not discuss the advertisement in his remarks there, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Acton described the personal impact of the advertisement during a campaign stop in Youngstown on Tuesday. She said the controversy had prompted her to confront unfamiliar details about her own childhood while expressing gratitude for the support she had received.

"I'm learning things even about my childhood right now that I did not know," Acton told reporters, according to NBC News.

She continued, "I think it is despicable. … I'm sure someday I'll unpack everything that I'm learning here. But I'm just grateful to Ohioans and everyone, really so much support and love that we've received."

Addie Bullock, Acton's campaign spokesperson, criticized the decision to end the advertisement without an apology. Her statement followed calls from Republican officials and others for Ramaswamy to withdraw the spot.

"Vivek Ramaswamy should never have run his despicable ad in the first place, and it's totally unsurprising that he took it off the air in the most cowardly way possible, without even the hint of an apology to Dr. Acton, her family, or to the people of Ohio," Bullock said in a statement Thursday, as reported by NBC News.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who has endorsed Ramaswamy and cannot seek another term, was among those who called for the advertisement to be taken down. President Donald Trump defended Ramaswamy during a rally in Chillicothe on Oct. 28, criticizing media coverage of the advertisement.

"Vivek was treated very unfairly. He had the mother of his opponent say that her daughter was a liar," Trump told supporters, according to The Columbus Dispatch. "And the press, the fake news, criticized him."

The controversy also prompted The Plain Dealer editorial board, published by cleveland.com, to endorse Acton on Oct. 27, reversing its earlier policy of not endorsing candidates in major statewide races. The board said its decision reflected both its objections to the advertisement and its assessment of Acton's qualifications.

The editorial cited Acton's experience as Ohio's health director under DeWine during the COVID-19 pandemic, her nonprofit work and nearly two years of meeting voters across the state. It also criticized Ramaswamy for declining to participate in a 15-part series addressing questions Ohio voters wanted candidates to answer.

The editorial board also noted that Ramaswamy had moved his business from Ohio to Texas. It said Acton's record and preparation for public service provided independent reasons to support her candidacy beyond the controversy over the advertisement.