Vivek Ramaswamy's ad featuring Amy Acton's mother stops airing in Ohio - The Columbus Dispatch
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has stopped airing a controversial campaign ad that featured his opponent Amy Acton's estranged mother. The ad, which was defended by Donald Trump, faced significant backlash for its personal nature.
Why it matters
It illustrates the aggressive nature of modern political campaigning and the role of negative advertising in state-level elections.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's ad featuring his opponent's estranged mother is no longer airing in Ohio.
“It ran to completion, and we've put up four other ads,” Ramaswamy said at an Oct. 29 campaign stop in Vandalia.
In the ad, Democrat Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accused Acton of lying about her political opponent and her past. Acton has not spoken to her mother since 1978, when her stepfather was accused of sexually abusing a young Acton. Arthur lost custody of her children.
Ramaswamy received backlash for the ad, with GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, among others, calling for him to take it down. But Ramaswamy's campaign put $4 million into the ad anyway. President Donald Trump defended Ramaswamy's ad as recently as Oct. 28 at his Chillicothe rally.
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