Ramaswamy Defends Ad Using Acton’s Estranged Mother as Ohio Governor Race Turns Personal
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Oct 21
Ramaswamy Defends Ad Using Acton’s Estranged Mother as Ohio Governor Race Turns Personal
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Oct 21
Summary
Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed Tuesday that his campaign made the ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother, calling it “legitimate” and saying she was not paid.
The spot shows Donna Arthur urging voters not to support Acton and accusing her of lying, prompting Acton’s campaign to denounce the move as exploiting abuse allegations from her childhood.
Acton’s brother Philip Stearns said their mother stayed with the man Acton accused of sexually abusing her, and Acton said she would not “normalize” a candidate using that history in campaign attacks.
A 1978 Youngstown Vindicator article cited in the report said Acton’s stepfather was bound over to a grand jury in a rape case involving a 12-year-old girl, aligning with Acton’s long-public account.
The clash injects deeply personal allegations into Ohio’s toss-up governor’s race, where Ramaswamy’s camp is also pressing Acton over debates and her pandemic-era record.