'This is despicable': Amy Acton hits back at Vivek Ramaswamy over Ohio campaign ad featuring her estranged mother

Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio, has condemned an attack ad featuring her estranged mother, calling it ‘despicable’. Acton responded to the campaign advertisement released by her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, on Wednesday evening, saying, "This is despicable, what he's done". In the ad, Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, claims that Acton 'lied her entire life;. However, the advertisement does not mention that Arthur's husband was charged with raping Acton when she was a child or that Acton and her brother were subsequently removed from Arthur's custody.

Released on Monday, the advertisement has triggered political backlash and drawn national attention to the Ohio governor's race. Acton and Ramaswamy are competing to succeed outgoing Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who has endorsed Ramaswamy, in the 3 November midterm election. DeWine has reportedly described the advertisement as deeply troubling and called for it to be withdrawn, raising questions about whether the controversy could damage Ramaswamy's electoral prospects. "I've never attacked his family. I would never do that," Acton said about Ramaswamy at a campaign stop on Wednesday evening.

"You can see that there are so many people who have experienced trauma and abuse in their lives," she added, referring to the reaction to the advertisement. According to information provided to the BBC by Acton's campaign, she last saw her mother in a courtroom in 1978, following the indictment of her stepfather. Arthur's husband left town before he could stand trial. He was never prosecuted and died in 2004.

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In an advertisement released earlier this week, Acton's brother recalled the abuse they experienced as children and criticised Ramaswamy for turning sexual assault into a political talking point. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his office was reviewing complaints about Ramaswamy's advertisement. The complaints concern whether the ad may initially have aired without a legally required disclaimer identifying who paid for it. Ramaswamy took responsibility for the advertisement the day after it was released on social media. He also announced that his campaign would spend $4m (£3m) to broadcast it across Ohio.

The editorial board of The Columbus Dispatch, a local Ohio news outlet, endorsed Acton following the advertisement's release, describing it as ‘revolting and unsettling’. On Thursday, former Republican Ohio Congressman Jim Renacci expressed concern about the potential political fallout in a post on X. "The floor may have just fallen out from under the Republican campaign for Ohio Governor. "And any Republican who fails to distance themselves from this ad risks taking on water as well."

MK Pritzker, the wife of Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker, announced on Wednesday that she would donate $500,000 to support Acton's election campaign. President Donald Trump also commented on the controversy, saying: "It's a very unusual situation to have a mother hate a daughter that much. “But I don't think that has anything to do with Vivek.” Meanwhile, Vice-President JD Vance urged fellow Republicans to stop ‘whining’ about the advertisement. He also said he was 'a little bit disgusted by criticism of the ad from members of his own party.

A VoteHub poll released on Thursday showed Acton leading Ramaswamy by 1%, a margin within the poll's margin of error. The survey was conducted before the advertisement was released. If elected, Acton would become the first Democrat to win the Ohio governorship in two decades.