Vivek Ramaswamy releases new attack ad
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The gist
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign released an ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother calling her a liar.
The Ohio governor's race ad drew bipartisan backlash over using Acton's childhood abuse history.
Background
Vivek Ramaswamy is the Republican candidate for Ohio governor; Amy Acton, 60, is the Democratic candidate, a physician and researcher who has been open about childhood abuse. The ad features Donna Arthur, Acton's estranged mother, who says Acton is a liar. Acton was removed from the Arthurs' custody as a child after her stepfather was charged with raping her. The ad drew criticism from both parties ahead of the midterm election, with Republicans warning it could backfire amid controversy over the Epstein files, which elevated child sexual abuse as a national campaign issue.
How it unfolded
- 1978Donna Arthur's husband Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with raping Amy Acton when she was between 10 and 12; he pleaded not guilty, and Acton and her brother were removed from the Arthurs' custody.
- 2004Cledith Arthur died; Donna Arthur stayed married to him until his death.
- Apr 2026Ramaswamy shared a video on X of a speech saying Acton had no positive vision for Ohio 'other than to complain about what someone else did to her.'
- Oct 19, 2026The ad featuring Donna Arthur began circulating on social media without language identifying its sponsor.
- Oct 20, 2026Ramaswamy confirmed the ad came from his campaign; Acton's team released a response ad featuring her brother Philip Stearns.
- Oct 21, 2026Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed to Axios it produced the ad and said it would spend $4 million to promote it.
- Oct 23, 2026Trump defended the ad in a heated back-and-forth with an NBC reporter.
- Oct 24, 2026Ramaswamy's campaign switched to a 30-second version of the ad, per a person close to the campaign.
Who’s saying what
- Campaign
- A Ramaswamy campaign spokesman said 'we don't know what happened between Amy and her mother' but called Acton 'a serial fabulist.'
- Acton
- Acton said she 'won't normalize somebody' who used her birth mother in an ad, noting she was removed at 12 for severe abuse and neglect and sexual abuse.
- Family
- Acton's brother Philip Stearns called the ad 'a despicable low' and said 'shame on Vivek.'
- Support
- President Donald Trump defended the ad, asking 'why shouldn't somebody use that?'
- Caution
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul called it 'an abhorrent attack,' and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said Ramaswamy 'has reached a new low.'
- Analysts
- American University professor David Lublin said the two are 'estranged not over policy but over a rape allegation.'
Still unverified
When the ad first circulated it lacked the mandatory disclosure of who paid for and authorized it; Ramaswamy later confirmed his campaign produced it. The campaign said it did not know what happened between Amy and her mother. The switch to a 30-second version was reported by a person close to the campaign.