Ohio Attack Ad Uses Amy Acton’s Mother Against Her as Governor’s Race Turns Nastier
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 20
Ohio Attack Ad Uses Amy Acton’s Mother Against Her as Governor’s Race Turns Nastier
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 20
Summary
A new Ohio governor’s race ad began circulating Monday night with Amy Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, urging voters not to elect her daughter and calling her a liar.
The spot centers on Acton’s account of a troubled childhood, including periods of homelessness and sexual abuse by her stepfather, which she has discussed on the campaign trail and as Ohio health director.
Court records cited in the report show the stepfather was charged with rape in 1978 after Acton’s biological father went to police; he pleaded not guilty, and Arthur backed her husband rather than her daughter.
Republicans praised the ad as a major blow, while Democrats and Acton’s brother denounced it as a new low in a race already described as one of the country’s ugliest.