Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, stated on Thursday that his campaign is no longer broadcasting an attack advertisement that included testimony from Amy Acton’s estranged mother. The ad had generated significant backlash following its release, as court records indicated that Acton’s mother lost custody of her daughter in 1978 amid allegations that her second husband, Cledith Arthur, had sexually abused the child between ages 10 and 12.
Ramaswamy’s campaign had previously announced plans to spend $4 million to air the advertisement despite objections from Democratic and Republican critics. When questioned by reporters in Vandalia, Ohio, Ramaswamy said the ad “ran to completion” and his campaign had developed four alternative advertisements. He also expressed a desire to focus the campaign on policy matters rather than short-form advertising, while simultaneously criticizing his opponent for declining to debate him.
Reporting from NBC News and Zeteo indicated that the content prompted concerns among some individuals involved in producing the advertisement, noting that Acton’s mother has faced mental health challenges and was previously found living in her vehicle. Ramaswamy’s campaign edited the advertisement from its original 60-second version to remove claims from Acton’s mother, with the edited version running as a 30-second spot. Court documentation from the period corroborated certain details about living conditions during the time of Arthur’s arrest on rape charges.
Donald Trump defended the advertisement at a campaign rally with Ramaswamy on Wednesday. In response, Acton’s campaign released a new advertisement Thursday questioning how far Ramaswamy would go to become governor. Acton also addressed the matter publicly, disclosing her own experiences with childhood abuse and neglect, and characterizing her opponent’s use of the advertisement as an attempt to exploit those experiences as his campaign faced difficulties.
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