Ohio Governor Mike DeWine publicly pressed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy on Wednesday to pull a campaign ad that features the estranged mother of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, calling the spot "deeply, deeply troubling" and morally indefensible once the full family history is known.
Speaking to reporters outside the Ohio Statehouse, DeWine said the ad crosses a line, especially given the backstory: Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, remained with her husband after he was indicted by a grand jury on charges related to sexual abuse of Acton, and the two children never saw their mother again after that. "When you know that, it just, to me, makes it more serious. It makes it just more wrong," DeWine said, according to The Statehouse News Bureau. "It's wrong to run this ad. I would urge Ramaswamy's campaign to take this down."
When asked whether the controversy would lead him to withdraw his endorsement of Ramaswamy, the term-limited governor was firm: "I'm not changing the endorsement. I endorse the whole ticket."
The 60-second spot, which Ramaswamy's campaign has spent roughly $4 million to air statewide, shows Arthur calling her daughter a "liar" and suggesting Acton has mental health issues. The ad offers no context about the estrangement. Acton was removed from her mother's custody at age 12 after her stepfather was charged with sexually abusing her. Acton has spoken publicly about suffering physical and sexual abuse and neglect as a child, and she says the last time she saw her mother was in court the day her stepfather was taken into custody.
Acton has denounced the ad as "despicable" and "an exploitative thing to do." Ramaswamy has embraced the spot, with a campaign spokesperson telling the Associated Press that Arthur was not paid for her appearance. The ad has sparked a fierce backlash within the GOP, with several lawmakers breaking ranks. Outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) called it "shameful" and predicted it would damage Republican candidates up and down the Ohio ballot. "This ad is going to go down as the most shameful, disgusting, offensive ad this election season," Mace said on CNN. "The bar is low, and somehow, Vivek Ramaswamy managed to limbo under the lowest bar of decency in this country."
Vice President Vance, however, defended the ad at a campaign rally, saying it "calls it out like it is," even as other GOP figures, including Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, have distanced themselves from the strategy. The controversy has also galvanized Democratic donors; J.B. Pritzker's wife reportedly gave $500,000 to Acton's campaign in the wake of the ad, and national attention has shifted toward the race, with some polls suggesting the attack may be backfiring and boosting Acton's prospects.
DeWine's public rebuke adds to the mounting pressure on Ramaswamy, who has so far refused to withdraw the ad. The governor's comments underscore the deep unease within the state's Republican establishment about a tactic that many see as exploiting a traumatic family history for political gain. As the race intensifies, the ad's fallout continues to reverberate, with the Ohio governor's race now being defined by this controversy, and criticism mounting from across the political spectrum.
For now, Ramaswamy shows no sign of backing down, but the political cost is becoming clearer. With the election approaching, the ad's impact on GOP candidates up and down the ticket remains uncertain, though several Republicans fear it could alienate suburban voters and energize Democratic turnout. The question now is whether Ramaswamy's gamble will pay off or further erode his standing in a race that was already tight.
