On Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, the campaign of Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, confirmed it produced an advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. In the video, Donna Arthur calls her daughter a \"liar.\" The Ramaswamy campaign announced plans to spend $4 million to promote the video online and on television.
The advertisement follows a long-standing estrangement between Acton and Arthur. Acton has previously spoken about facing homelessness and abuse as a child. According to police and court records, Arthur’s husband was arrested in July 1978 for the rape of Acton when she was 12 years old. Acton’s brother released a video on Tuesday supporting her account of childhood abuse and living in a tent.
President Donald Trump on Thursday, Oct. 22, defended the use of the advertisement, posting on social media that Ramaswamy should \"keep it up\" and stating the ad was \"hitting pay dirt.\" Conversely, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) called the ad \"wrong\" and \"deeply, deeply troubling,\" urging the campaign to remove it. DeWine cited his past experience with rape victims as a prosecutor. He noted that while Acton's campaign previously critiqued Ramaswamy’s mother regarding a pharmaceutical company role, he believes family members should remain \"off limits.\"
A person living in Ohio would notice the advertisement appearing in social media feeds and during television broadcasts in the final two weeks leading up to the November election. The use of the ad has created a public division within the state's Republican leadership. While Vice President JD Vance (R) dismissed criticisms of the ad, other high-ranking Ohio Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Jon Husted and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, stated they would not have run such an advertisement. Former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci suggested the ad could negatively impact the Republican gubernatorial campaign.
The controversy also serves as a test of political standards regarding the use of family members in attack ads. Ramaswamy’s spokesperson, Connie Luck, stated the campaign refuses to accept \"double standards,\" pointing to earlier Democratic critiques of Ramaswamy’s own mother. The impact on voter sentiment remains to be determined as the state approaches the general election. The next major milestone will be the election itself, following the final two weeks of this multimillion-dollar advertising push.