Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy AFP

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for Ohio governor said it will spend $4 million to air an attack ad featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The campaign is going ahead despite criticism from Democrats, Acton's family and a number of Republicans.

The campaign confirmed late Tuesday that it produced the one-minute video. It had first spread online without the disclaimer that political ads normally carry to show who paid for them. Campaign spokesperson Connie Luck said Acton's mother was not paid to appear and that the ad will run online and on television in the final weeks of the race.

The ad started circulating two weeks before Election Day in one of the country's most competitive governor's races. Ramaswamy and Acton are running to replace Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who cannot seek another term.

What the ad says

In the video, Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, speaks directly to the camera and repeatedly calls her daughter a liar.

"She lies about her past," Arthur says. She urges voters, "Don't let her become your governor."

Arthur does not mention Ramaswamy by name. She questions Acton's account of her childhood, including a period when the family was homeless and lived in a tent. Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, has confirmed that account. Arthur also says, without giving details, that Acton has misrepresented her opponent's record.

Acton, a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health, has said publicly that her stepfather sexually assaulted her when she was 12 and that her mother sided with him. Acton and her brother were removed from their mother's custody after the stepfather's arrest.

The ad first appeared in a post by an Ohio political blogger and spread quickly on social media. When it surfaced Tuesday morning, it carried no disclaimer and was not listed as a paid ad on AdImpact, a service that tracks political advertising.

Campaign defends the ad

At first, Ramaswamy's campaign would not say whether it was behind the video. In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Luck said the campaign did not know what had happened between Acton and her mother. She added that the campaign knows Acton "has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor."

Later Tuesday, the campaign confirmed it made the ad and announced the $4 million buy.

Campaign manager Jonathan Ewing told Axios that sources close to the campaign said the ad had tested well with persuadable voters.

"This is a campaign-ending moment for Amy Acton," Ewing said. "The people who know her best keep warning Ohioans about her."

Ramaswamy has said he has never met Acton's mother. His campaign has also criticized Acton for refusing to debate him. Luck said that if Acton disagrees with the criticism, she should answer questions publicly and "let voters decide for themselves."

Acton and her family respond

Acton said Tuesday that she believed Ramaswamy was responsible for the ad even before his campaign confirmed it. She noted that her mother's language matched rhetoric used by Ramaswamy and his allies.

"This is a lifelong pattern with my opponent," Acton said, pointing to accusations of personal attacks during Ramaswamy's 2024 run for the Republican presidential nomination.

Acton's campaign released a statement from her brother, who called their mother abusive.

"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," Stearns said.

He told Axios the ad was "disgusting."

The Acton campaign later released its own video, titled "Abuse," featuring Stearns.

Criticism from both parties

Criticism of the ad came from across the political spectrum.

Some prominent Republicans and conservative commentators said it could create sympathy for Acton. Robby Soave of the libertarian magazine Reason called it "sick stuff." Casey Putsch, who ran against Ramaswamy in the Republican primary, said he would now vote for Acton.

Some on the right defended the ad. Conservative activist Laura Loomer wrote that she sided with Acton's mother.

A close, expensive race

The race has been close and costly. Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur endorsed by President Donald Trump, has benefited from more than $120 million in spending on his behalf. Recent public polls have shown a tight race. One Emerson College survey earlier this fall had Acton at 46% and Ramaswamy at 45%.

Ohio has voted Republican in recent statewide races, but Democrats see Acton as their strongest candidate in years. She became widely known in 2020 for leading the state's early COVID-19 response. Republicans have criticized her role in pandemic lockdowns. DeWine has said he made those decisions himself.

Acton's decision not to debate Ramaswamy has been a major issue for his campaign, which has accused her of avoiding voters' questions.

Election Day is Nov. 3. Both campaigns are expected to spend heavily on ads in the final two weeks.