Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign released an advertisement featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who disputed claims Acton has made about her childhood. In the ad, Arthur stated that Acton “lied her entire life” and denied that Acton grew up living in a tent, as Acton has previously described.
Acton’s family responded sharply to the advertisement. In a statement released by Acton’s campaign, her brother Philip Stearns said Arthur had remained married to a man who sexually abused Acton at age 12, even after he was arrested and the children were removed from custody. Stearns characterized the Ramaswamy campaign’s decision to use the family conflict as a political attack as “despicable” and said it revealed the nature of his opponent.
Acton, who directed Ohio’s public health department from 2019 to 2020 and oversaw the state’s initial coronavirus response, has previously discussed her stepfather’s history of molestation and her experience living in a tent. Ramaswamy’s campaign spokesperson Connie Luck responded by characterizing Acton as “a serial fabulist” with credibility problems, noting that various people in Acton’s professional and personal circles had raised concerns about her truthfulness.
Democratic figures condemned the advertisement. Congressman Greg Landsman called it “one of the most despicable things” he had witnessed in politics, while the Democratic Governors Association described it as part of a broader smear campaign. The gubernatorial race has become noted for its contentious nature, with Acton refusing to debate Ramaswamy and leveling her own criticism at his campaign practices. The contest is regarded as one of the more hostile races in the midterm elections.
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