Vivek Ramaswamy Defends Controversial Attack Ad Against Ohio Democratic Rival Amy Acton

WASHINGTON — Indian American Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is standing by a controversial campaign advertisement featuring his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged birth mother, who calls her daughter a liar, despite mounting criticism over the use of allegations involving Acton’s troubled childhood.

The one-minute advertisement has intensified tensions in Ohio’s closely watched gubernatorial race ahead of the November 3 election, as both parties mobilize voters in the final days of campaigning.

Ramaswamy’s campaign confirmed Tuesday night that it produced the advertisement featuring Donna Arthur, Acton’s birth mother, according to reports by Axios and The Hill.

Campaign spokesperson Connie Luck said Arthur was not compensated for appearing in the advertisement. The campaign plans to spend approximately $4 million promoting it through television and online platforms.

The advertisement has drawn criticism because of Acton’s previously disclosed experiences of childhood abuse and neglect.

Acton has said she was removed from her mother’s care at age 12 because of “severe abuse and neglect, and sexual abuse,” according to reports by The Hill and WOUB.

The decision to feature her estranged mother in a political advertisement has prompted condemnation from several political figures, including some Republicans.

Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running for the Senate, described the advertisement as “disgusting,” while conservative commentator Meghan McCain called it “dastardly.”

Casey Putsch, a former Republican rival of Ramaswamy, also criticized the advertisement and said he would vote for Acton in the general election.

PolitiFact examined the advertisement’s claims Wednesday, reviewing the conflicting accounts presented by Acton and her birth mother concerning her childhood.

Despite the controversy, Ramaswamy continued campaigning alongside Vice President JD Vance at a rally Wednesday in Sharonville, a Cincinnati suburb.

According to the Dayton Daily News, Ramaswamy did not mention Acton during his remarks, choosing instead to focus on his economic agenda for Ohio.

He outlined proposals to eliminate the state’s income tax, reduce electricity costs, cut property taxes and strengthen Ohio’s steel industry.

Vance, however, defended the campaign’s advertisement, saying it “told it like it is,” according to reports by public radio stations WYSO and WVXU.

A heckler was removed from the event, the stations reported.

Ramaswamy also continued criticizing Acton on social media, accusing her of avoiding debates and restricting media access to campaign events.

In posts on X, he claimed Acton was “hiding from debate” and said she “bans cameras” at her events.

He also shared a campaign video titled “A strong message to Republicans” and a segment featuring broadcaster Megyn Kelly discussing Acton.

The dispute comes as early voting is already underway across Ohio, with more than 676,000 voters having cast their ballots, according to published reports.

A recent Marist poll indicated a competitive contest between the two candidates, increasing the importance of voter turnout and campaign messaging in the final stretch.

Democrats are also bringing prominent national figures into the state to support Acton’s campaign.

Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to appear alongside Acton and Brown at a rally in Cleveland on October 24, according to WYSO.

The planned appearance reflects Democratic efforts to compete in Ohio, a state that has increasingly favored Republicans in recent statewide and presidential elections.

Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati-born biotechnology entrepreneur whose parents immigrated from Kerala, India, gained national prominence during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

After withdrawing from that contest, he endorsed Donald Trump and later briefly helped lead the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative alongside Elon Musk before announcing his campaign for Ohio governor.

Acton, a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health, became a prominent public figure during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she helped oversee the state’s public health response.

The November 3 election will determine who leads Ohio as the candidates offer competing approaches to taxation, economic development, public services and state government.

The controversy surrounding Ramaswamy’s advertisement has added a personal and increasingly bitter dimension to a race already drawing significant national attention. (Source: IANS)