Ramaswamy campaign confirms $4 million ad with Acton's estranged mother
In short
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed it produced an ad in which Democrat Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calls her a "liar", and said it will spend $4 million on it. The ad has drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, while Vice President JD Vance said he was "disgusted" by Republicans "whining" about it.
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An ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, has become a flashpoint in Ohio's governor's race between Democrat Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. In the ad Arthur says: "She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She's lied her entire life." ABC News reported that the ad has Arthur calling her daughter "a liar" and insinuating she has mental health issues. [ 5 , 11 ]
Axios reported that the ad began circulating on social media late Monday without language identifying its sponsor, and The Boston Globe noted it carried no "paid for" tag. ABC News reported it first surfaced in a post by an Ohio political blogger, D.J. Brynes, who blogs as "The Rooster" and told CNN he got it from a voter who recorded it while viewing it as part of a poll. Ramaswamy's campaign then confirmed to Axios that it produced the ad. Ramaswamy told reporters on Tuesday evening, "It is an ad from our campaign", according to the New York Post. [ 10 , 11 , 18 , 21 ]
The campaign said it will spend $4 million to promote the ad. Campaign spokesperson Connie Luck said Arthur was not paid for the one-minute video, which she said will stream online and air on television. Axios cited sources close to the campaign as saying the ad tested well with persuadable voters. [ 11 , 18 ]
Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, said in a Tuesday statement released by her campaign that Acton is estranged from her mother, who married a man who sexually abused Acton when she was 12. He said Arthur stayed in the marriage after her husband was arrested and the children were taken from her. He called the ad "a despicable low". Acton accused Ramaswamy of a "lifelong pattern" of personal attacks and suggested his campaign was behind the video. According to The Guardian, Ramaswamy's campaign sought to cast doubt on her recollection of her childhood. [ 5 , 13 ]
CNN reported that Sen. Jon Husted said, "I would not have run that ad", and that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said he "probably wouldn't run an ad like that". A Republican operative told CNN at least one other GOP candidate had asked Ramaswamy not to air it. Meghan McCain called it a "dastardly" ad on X. [ 8 , 9 ]
Vance, speaking in Cincinnati on Wednesday, said he was "a little bit disgusted" by Republicans "whining" about the ad, and said it was "not really my concern" whether it was appropriate. The race is tight, and ABC News reported that more than 676,000 people had already cast ballots in Ohio. [ 10 , 11 , 36 ]
Why it matters
The ad has drawn bipartisan criticism in what outlets describe as a tight Ohio governor's race, with about two weeks left before Election Day. ABC News reported that more than 676,000 people have already cast ballots.
Key facts
- An ad features Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor a "liar" and urging voters not to support her. [ 5 , 8 , 11 , 14 ]
- Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed it produced the ad and said it will spend $4 million to promote it. [ 11 , 18 , 36 ]
- The video first circulated online without a "paid for" tag identifying who made it. [ 10 , 11 , 18 ]
- Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, called the ad "a despicable low" in a statement released by her campaign. [ 5 , 16 ]
- Sen. Jon Husted said "I would not have run that ad", and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said he "probably wouldn't run an ad like that", CNN reported. [ 8 ]
- Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday he is "a little bit disgusted" by Republicans "whining" about the ad. [ 30 , 32 , 33 , 36 , 40 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The ad features Acton's estranged mother calling her a liar. [ 3 , 5 , 8 , 11 , 14 , 16 ]
- Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed it produced the ad. [ 11 , 18 , 20 , 21 , 25 ]
- The campaign said it will spend $4 million to promote the ad. [ 11 , 18 , 36 ]
- The ad has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. [ 8 , 11 , 35 , 36 ]
- Acton's brother called the ad "a despicable low" and said their mother's husband sexually abused Acton when she was a child. [ 5 , 16 ]
- Vance said he was "disgusted" by Republican pushback against the ad. [ 30 , 32 , 33 , 36 , 40 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the ad has aired on television. The Seattle Times reported the ad had not yet appeared on television as of Tuesday evening, while ABC News said the campaign told it the ad will stream online and air on television.
- Whether the claims Arthur makes in the ad are accurate. Arthur says in the ad that Acton's account of living in a tent is untrue, while Acton described living in a tent in an interview with the Youngstown Vindicator, according to The Guardian.
- How the ad will affect voters. Axios cited sources close to the campaign saying it tested well with persuadable voters, while a Republican operative told CNN that Republicans in the state were angry with Ramaswamy; another operative downplayed the impact.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsweek reports a viral video in which a woman who says she is Acton's mother calls her a liar. [ 1 ]
- The Hill reports that Acton's mother called her a "liar" in a new ad and that her brother labelled the video "a despicable low". [ 2 ]
- CNN reports that some leading Ohio Republicans are distancing themselves from the ad. [ 8 ]
- The Hill reports that Acton accused Ramaswamy of a "lifelong pattern" of personal attacks. [ 13 ]
- Axios reports that Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed it produced the ad and is putting $4 million behind it. [ 18 ]
- The Hill reports that Ramaswamy confirmed to reporters on Tuesday evening that his campaign was behind the ad. [ 20 ]
- On Wednesday, Vance tells reporters in Cincinnati he is "disgusted" by Republicans "whining" about the ad. [ 36 ]