(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign appeared to stand by an ad that featured his Democrat opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother to attack her as a “liar.”
The ad in question features Donna Stearns Arthur accusing her Democrat daughter of lying about her past. The two had not spoken in decades after authorities removed Acton from her home after her stepfather was indicted on sexual abuse charges.
“I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent: It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. She lies about her past. Don’t vote for people who lie,” Donna Arthur said.
Ramaswamy’s team confirmed late Tuesday that it produced a controversial advertisement, and the campaign said it will spend $4 million to promote it despite facing bipartisan rebuke for dredging up the painful childhood of his Democratic opponent in Ohio’s governor’s race.
BOMBSHELL:
Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s own mother urges voters not to vote for her daughter.
“My name is Donna Arthur and I’m Amy Acton’s mother. I worked at Children and Family Service Association, building one of the first two sexual abuse programs in… pic.twitter.com/NP7nURpOmn
— Walter Curt (@wcdispatch) October 20, 2026
The ad drew swift condemnation from most observers. Acton’s campaign and her brother pointed to the fact that their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, faced a grand jury indictment on allegations he sexually abused a 12-year-old Acton.
Cledith Arthur was initially arrested and then released on bond in July 1978. According to Acton, the man never returned to court despite multiple warrants for his arrest. He died in 2004 without ever facing trial.
Connie Luck, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy’s campaign, appeared to cast doubt on Acton’s childhood account in a statement. She added that Acton’s mother was not paid for the one-minute video, which she said will stream online and air on television.
Luck specifically said: “We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother, who first spoke out about Amy in 2020, but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor.”
By contrast, Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, condemned the video in a campaign statement.
“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,” Stearns said.
Stearns said that their mother remained married to their stepfather after he and his sister were removed from her custody.
“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,” Stearns added.
Casey Putsch, a car designer and YouTube provocateur who competed against Ramaswamy for the Republican nomination for governor, also said on social media that he would be voting for Acton in the wake of the ad’s release. He called the video “pretty damn low.”
Right-wing streamer Nick Fuentes called Ramaswamy a “sick human being” over the matter.
Nick Fuentes is DISGUSTED by Vivek Ramaswamy's new attack ad against Amy Acton.
"He is a sick human being." pic.twitter.com/LSyUrWY440
— Fuentes Updates (@FuentesUpdates) October 21, 2026
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3. As of Oct. 18, RealClearPolitics’ polling average showed Ramaswamy leading Acton within the margin of error.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
