Vivek Ramaswamy Campaign Stops Airing Controversial Attack Ad Against Amy Acton

Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed Thursday that his campaign has ceased broadcasting a controversial Vivek Ramaswamy attack ad that targeted Democratic opponent Amy Acton. The commercial, which spotlighted Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, sparked widespread backlash across political lines due to the family's history of child sexual abuse.

Addressing reporters in Vandalia, Ohio, Ramaswamy indicated that the commercial had concluded its scheduled broadcast run. "It ran to completion and we put up four other ads," he stated. Ramaswamy further commented on the campaign's direction, remarking that "for all of the discussion around 30-second ads, I would love, even for this final close, for this campaign to really be about policy," while criticizing Acton for declining to debate him.

Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed his campaign finished running a disputed television ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother.

Background of the Commercial

The campaign had announced plans the prior week to allocate $4 million toward broadcasting the advertisement. The commercial featured Arthur describing her daughter as "a liar." However, public records revealed that Arthur lost custody of Acton in 1978 after her second husband, Cledith Arthur, faced charges for raping Acton between the ages of 10 and 12. Court documentation showed Arthur fled Ohio with her husband following the rape allegations.

The commercial was initially produced as a 60-second broadcast before the campaign trimmed it to 30 seconds. The shortened version omitted Arthur's claims that Acton had fabricated living in a tent with Cledith Arthur during childhood. Contemporary court filings confirmed that Cledith Arthur was indeed residing in a tent when authorities arrested him on rape charges. In a 2020 interview with Operation Rescue during Acton's tenure directing Ohio's COVID-19 pandemic response, Arthur acknowledged knowing Cledith Arthur faced prior accusations of raping his own daughter before their marriage.

Reactions and Scrutiny

The commercial drew bipartisan condemnation, yet former President Donald Trump repeatedly defended it, including during a Wednesday rally alongside Ramaswamy. Trump declined to acknowledge whether the allegations of child rape affected Arthur's credibility. Reports from NBC News and Zeteo noted that Arthur has faced mental health struggles and was discovered living in a car with dozens of cats, circumstances that reportedly alarmed several campaign ad production staff.

Acton strongly condemned the ad on Thursday, both at a campaign event and through a newly released response commercial. "To become governor, he’ll smear his opponent for being raped by her stepfather when she was just 10 years old – exploiting the sexual abuse of a child and spending millions lying to you about it," Acton's ad stated. Speaking to supporters, Acton shared that she and her brother endured severe neglect and abuse, frequent contact with children's services, and lived in a tent during winter. She accused Ramaswamy of intentionally exploiting her childhood to rescue a struggling campaign.