Several prominent Ohio Republicans have distanced themselves from a controversial $4 million campaign ad released by gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, with multiple party leaders condemning it and urging its withdrawal.
The ad features Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic nominee Dr. Amy Acton, criticizing her daughter and urging voters to reject her candidacy.
The candidate’s mother fled with her husband, Cledith “Bud” Arthur, after he was arrested in Austintown, Ohio, on July 14, 1978, and charged with raping his then-12-year-old stepdaughter.
He pleaded not guilty and was indicted by a grand jury in September of that year. The proceedings did not reach a reported final resolution: Arthur failed to appear for a subsequent court hearing and was declared a fugitive in October 1978.
Authorities issued warrants in attempts to locate him but Arthur died in Pennsylvania in 2004 before the case was brought to a conclusion.
Acton and her brother, Philip Stearns, have spoken publicly about their childhood experiences.
Their accounts describe a period of family instability and allegations of abuse that resulted in intervention by authorities.
“It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point,” said Stearns. “After he (Acton’s mother’s husband) was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died.”
“This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants,” said Stearns.
Senior figures in the state’s political establishment have swiftly rebuked the commercial for relying on family conflict and omitting documented history about Acton’s childhood.
Among the prominent Republicans speaking out against the ad are:
- Mike DeWine: The Ohio Governor called the commercial “deeply, deeply troubling” and “wrong,” publicly urging Ramaswamy to pull it from the airwaves. Despite his condemnation of the ad, DeWine has maintained his endorsement of Ramaswamy in the gubernatorial race.
- Jon Husted: The Ohio State Senator and former lieutenant governor stated publicly that he would not have run the advertisement.
- Jim Renacci: The former U.S. Representative called on Ramaswamy to “pivot quickly” away from the controversial attack ad.
- Casey Putsch: A car designer, YouTube creator, and former Republican primary rival to Ramaswamy characterized the ad as “pretty damn low” and announced he would vote for Acton instead.
Other figures, including Ohio Development Director Lydia Mihalik, also criticized the spot, stating that it crossed lines of political decency.
The ad has intensified friction within the state GOP, as President Donald Trump publicly praised the commercial on social media and advised Ramaswamy to keep it on the air, while criticizing Governor DeWine’s call for its removal.
Ramaswamy’s campaign has defended the commercial, arguing it focuses on public integrity and a pattern of statements rather than personal family matters, and has refused party members’ requests to withdraw it.
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