Vivek Ramaswamy's Ohio gubernatorial campaign is investing $4 million in a statewide advertising push that features a personal attack by the estranged mother of his opponent, Amy Acton, according to Axios. The campaign confirmed it produced the one-minute commercial, which began circulating on social media late Monday without sponsor identification before launching a paid stream on Tuesday night.
The ad centers on Donna Arthur, Acton's mother, who accuses her daughter of fabricating her childhood history. "She lies about her past," Arthur says in the spot. "She's lied her entire life." She also disputes Acton's account of experiencing homelessness as a child. Sources close to Ramaswamy's campaign told Axios that the ad tested well with "persuadable" voters, prompting the decision to proceed with the $4 million expenditure despite early warnings from within the party.
Acton, a 60-year-old physician, has stated that she was sexually abused by her stepfather at age 12, an individual who faced criminal charges. She has said her mother sided with the alleged abuser and that she has not seen her since childhood. In a Facebook statement posted Tuesday, Acton said, "between the ages of 10 and 12, I was sexually abused by her husband, while my birth mother did nothing to protect me." She added that it is "sad to see Vivek Ramaswamy exploit her all for his own political gain." Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, described the advertisement as "disgusting."
The campaign's strategy has drawn sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle. Republican strategist David Urban told CNN that the ad could backfire by invoking sympathy for victims of sexual assault, drawing a parallel to the national conversation surrounding the Epstein files. Conservative commentator Mary Katharine Ham posted on X that it seems "crazy" to assume the ad would not fail. However, some conservatives have defended the move; Donald Trump Jr. urged Ohio voters to watch the commercial and consider its implications.
Jonathan Ewing, Ramaswamy's campaign manager, told Axios that the attack represents a "campaign-ending moment" for Acton. "The people who know her best keep warning Ohioans about her," Ewing said. A mid-October Marist survey showed Acton leading Ramaswamy 50% to 43% among likely voters in Ohio. Ramaswamy is scheduled to campaign with Vice President Vance and Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Cincinnati on Wednesday.