Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) is urging Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to pull an advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton.
DeWine, who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection, has backed Ramaswamy to succeed him in the governor’s mansion despite the controversy surrounding the advertisement.
Speaking to reporters at the Statehouse in Columbus, DeWine called on Ramaswamy’s campaign to take down the spot, calling it “deeply, deeply troubling,” while maintaining his endorsement of Ramaswamy.
DeWine’s criticism marks a public break with the Republican nominee over a campaign tactic that has drawn condemnation from prominent members of the party.
“It’s wrong to run this ad,” DeWine said. “I would urge Ramaswamy’s campaign to take this down.”
The minute-long advertisement features Donna Stearns Arthur criticizing her daughter and urging voters not to support Acton’s gubernatorial bid. Acton’s campaign has condemned the spot, accusing Ramaswamy of exploiting allegations of childhood abuse for political gain.
The ad has divided Republicans in the final stretch of a competitive race, with Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) joining DeWine in criticizing the decision to air it. Husted, who is facing former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in a closely watched Senate race, said, “I would not have run that ad.”
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, however, have defended Ramaswamy as he seeks to defeat Acton and win the governorship.
Asked about the controversy, Trump said he was unfamiliar with the advertisement but suggested Acton’s mother could offer relevant testimony about her daughter.
“The fact is, I know nothing about it,” Trump told reporters. “But I hear the mother went very rogue on the daughter, doesn’t have a lot of respect for the daughter, and I think the mother is a witness to things also. So, who knows? And you have to figure that out. But I don’t think that has anything to do with Vivek.”
Vance also defended Ramaswamy, arguing that the larger question for voters is who will lead the state.
“Whether the ad was appropriate or not is not really my concern,” Vance said. “What is my concern is who is going to govern the next generation of American government.”
The advertisement has circulated on social media through third parties rather than Ramaswamy’s campaign. In the spot, Arthur accuses Acton of “lying about her opponent” and misrepresenting her past, including her account of growing up in a tent.
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Acton’s campaign has responded with an advertisement featuring her brother, Philip Stearns, who accuses Ramaswamy of using their childhood experiences to attack his sister.
“I received a lot of abuse, but Amy always got the worst of it,” Stearns says in the response ad. He alleges that Acton endured abuse as a child to protect him, beginning when she was just 11 or 12 years old.