'Despicable': Ohio Governor Race Erupts Over Ramaswamy Ad Featuring Rival's Estranged Mother

A fierce row has broken out in the race for governor of the US state of Ohio over an attack ad by one candidate. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is airing an ad against Democratic candidate Amy Acton that features Acton's own estranged mother. Acton has called the ad 'despicable'.

At a campaign stop on Wednesday evening, Acton said: 'This is despicable, what he's done.' In the ad, Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, says Acton 'lied her entire life'. But the ad does not mention a crucial fact — that Arthur's husband was charged with raping Acton when she was a child, and that Acton and her brother were then removed from Arthur's custody.

Since it launched on Monday, the ad has generated political backlash and cast a national spotlight on the race. Acton and Ramaswamy are running to replace outgoing Governor Mike DeWine in the 3 November midterm election. DeWine is a Republican who has endorsed Ramaswamy.

Yet DeWine has reportedly been unsettled by his own endorsed candidate's ad. He has reportedly described it as deeply troubling and called for it to be taken down. Such a reaction from within the party is being seen as a major blow to the Ramaswamy campaign.

At Wednesday evening's stop, Acton said of Ramaswamy: 'I've never attacked his family. I would never do that.' Referring to the fallout from the ad, she continued: 'You can see that there are so many people who have experienced trauma and abuse in their lives.' Her remarks suggested the episode had also touched the personal experiences of many voters.

According to information provided by Acton's campaign, the last time she saw her mother was in a courtroom in 1978, after her stepfather was indicted. Arthur's husband fled town before he could stand trial, was never prosecuted, and died in 2004.

Acton has also released an ad of her own earlier this week. In it, her brother recalled their abuse as children and chided Ramaswamy for using sexual assault as 'a political talking point'. With the two sides trading ads, the election contest has now turned into an argument over personal history.

A legal angle has also entered the row. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his office was reviewing complaints about Ramaswamy's ad. There are complaints that the ad may have initially aired without the legally required disclaimer telling viewers who paid for it.

Ramaswamy, however, has not backed down. He claimed responsibility the day after the ad was released on social media and said his campaign would spend $4m (£3m) to air it across the state. Despite the criticism, he remains set on spreading the ad more widely.

The editorial board of local Ohio news outlet The Columbus Dispatch endorsed Acton after the ad dropped. It described the ad as 'revolting and unsettling'. Observers consider such a stance by an influential local paper significant in the final phase of the election.

On Thursday, former Republican Ohio Congressman Jim Renacci wrote 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.' The comment from a former lawmaker of Ramaswamy's own party has fuelled the row further.

Acton is also receiving financial support. MK Pritzker, the wife of Illinois' Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, announced on Wednesday that she would donate $500,000 to help Acton in the election. President Donald Trump has said: '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.' All eyes are now on whether this row changes the course of the Ohio contest before the 3 November vote.