COLUMBUS, Ohio — A campaign advertisement by Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy featuring Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent Amy Acton, has sparked significant controversy and bipartisan criticism in the final weeks before the Ohio governor’s race. The ad, which includes Arthur accusing Acton of dishonesty and implying mental health issues, has drawn attention due to Acton’s troubled childhood and the sensitive family history it references.
The advertisement was initially leaked online on Tuesday after being shown to a voter as part of a purported poll. It quickly circulated on conservative social media channels but also provoked backlash across the political spectrum. Acton, a former Ohio health director, was removed from her mother’s custody at age 12 after accusing her mother’s husband, Cledith Arthur, of sexual abuse. Court records confirm that Cledith Arthur was criminally charged in 1978 with raping Acton, allegations dating from 1976 to 1978. Arthur became a fugitive after failing to appear in court and has since died. Acton has not seen her mother since the late 1970s.
At a campaign rally on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance, campaigning in Ohio to support Republican candidates, defended the advertisement. Vance expressed frustration with Republican critics who he said focused more on attacking the ad than on Democratic policies. “Politics is a tough business,” he told reporters, adding that the appropriateness of the ad was “not really my concern.”
Other Republicans have taken a different stance. Senator Jon Husted, who faces a competitive re-election bid against Democrat Sherrod Brown, stated he would not have run the ad, though he did not publicly confront the issue during a joint appearance with Vance and Ramaswamy. Brown himself called the ad “disgusting.” Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley also condemned Ramaswamy’s approach, labeling him a “bad guy” on social media and criticizing the personal nature of the attack.
Ramaswamy, a billionaire tech entrepreneur, has embraced the ad despite the controversy, pledging to spend $4 million on its promotion. His campaign maintains that spotlighting this personal history is part of examining Acton’s trustworthiness.
Democrats, meanwhile, have largely declined to engage with the personal aspects of Acton’s past. Her campaign issued no direct response to Vance’s comments, emphasizing that Acton’s difficult childhood is not the focal point of her gubernatorial campaign.
The ad has elicited strong emotional reactions among voters. Ann Vance, a teacher in Columbus with no relation to the vice president, said she was so appalled by the commercial that it motivated her to vote early for Acton. Michael Wedding, a 20-year-old attendee at Vance’s rally, said he intended to vote for Acton despite his Republican background, describing the ad as “very, very gross.”
The Ohio governor’s race remains highly competitive, with early voting underway and Election Day approaching in two weeks. The debate over the ad and its implications reflects the intensifying polarization and strategic battles defining the state’s political landscape.