Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s marketing campaign slammed her GOP opponent Vivek Ramaswamy Tuesday, alleging his marketing campaign used her estranged mom, whom she has accused of abusing her and standing by the person who sexually abused her, to induce voters to not help her within the toss-up race.
A video that seems to be a marketing campaign advert circulated on social media late Monday exhibiting Acton’s mom, Donna Arthur, saying that she loves her daughter, however provides, “Amy has a major problem” and has lied about her previous.
ABC Information has not been capable of confirm the content material or authenticity of the video, which has been shared by many customers on-line, together with Donald Trump Jr.
Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Division of Well being and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, speaks on affordability whereas campaigning at Bottoms Up Espresso in Columbus, Ohio, April 6, 2026.
Stephen Zenner/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photographs
Ramaswamy instructed reporters on Tuesday that the advert did come from his marketing campaign and that he seen it as “professional.” He mentioned that Acton’s mom was not compensated.
“It’s an advert from our marketing campaign, and the factor that I need to say is that I’d love for this race and this election to be in regards to the substantive points that affect Ohioans, and sadly, Amy Acton has been hiding from these points. She will not debate me,” he mentioned.
Within the marketing campaign advert, Arthur describes her daughter as a “liar,” saying, “She lies about her previous.”
“My daughter wants assist, and she will’t enable you to if she wants assist herself,” Arthur says within the video.
Arthur could not instantly be reached for remark.
Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, criticized Ramaswamy over the “disgusting assault.”
“It is not stunning that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to try to show the sexual abuse Amy endured at 12 years previous from our start mom’s husband right into a political speaking level,” Stearns mentioned in an announcement.
“After he was arrested and Amy and I had been faraway from their custody, our start mom stayed married to Amy’s rapist till he died,” he added.
This isn’t the primary time Arthur has publicly accused her daughter of mendacity.
In an interview with an anti-abortion entry group in 2020, Arthur accused Acton’s father of convincing their daughter to lie.
When requested earlier Tuesday if the advert was made with the marketing campaign’s data or consent, Connie Luck, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy, launched a prolonged assertion Tuesday, however didn’t deny making the advert or denounce it.
“We do not know what occurred between Amy and her mom, who first spoke out about Amy in 2020, however we all know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some severe issues with the reality that the general public wants to concentrate on earlier than deciding who to entrust as governor,” Luck mentioned in an announcement.
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks throughout the Darke County Republican Social gathering Hog Roast on October 18, 2026 in Greenville, Ohio.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photographs
Luck’s assertion went on to accuse Acton of “mendacity about Vivek and his household, mendacity about her personal report, after which hiding from debates,” and questioning her actions throughout the pandemic when she was the director of the Ohio Division of Well being.
“If Amy disagrees with these criticisms, she ought to stand earlier than the folks of Ohio, reply the questions, and let voters determine for themselves. The truth that she will not, and Vivek will, ought to let you know the whole lot about who’s actually mendacity,” Luck ended her assertion.
Acton pushed again in an interview with Spectrum Information Tuesday.
“I will not normalize anyone who has mentioned that my childhood is one thing I am simply complaining about. Who in the present day simply launched an advert utilizing my start mom, who I used to be faraway from on the age of 12 for extreme abuse and neglect and sexual abuse; my brother and I had been eliminated,” she mentioned.
The marketing campaign launched a video advert later Tuesday the place Stearns echoed his criticism over Ramaswamy
“Disgrace on Vivek,” he says, including, “It is the contempt he has for Amy. It is the contempt he has for Ohio. He is not match to steer.”
Acton has been public about her expertise with abuse and searching for remedy for it, She has additionally overtly spoken about her tumultuous relationship along with her mom.
In an interview with the Youngstown Vindicator in 2019, when she was first appointed director of the Ohio Division of Well being, Acton described a childhood that was “uncontrolled”, shuffling between homes along with her mom and brother and the “forged of characters” her mom dated.
She alleged her mom’s second husband molested her between the ages of 9 and 12. Costs had been filed towards her stepfather, and Acton testified towards him.
Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Governor of Ohio, greets constituents alongside the parade route of the 54th Annual CDC Parade on September 7, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jeff Swensen/Getty Photographs
A newspaper article from August 1978 corroborates Acton’s account.
The article within the Youngstown Vindicator describes that Acton’s stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was “certain over to the Mahoning County grand jury in reference to the rape of a 12-year-old woman.” Acton was born in 1966, making her 12 on the time.
The article says he was “arrested at his residence on August 4th following an investigation initiated by the woman’s father.”
Cledith Arthur died in 2004. He and Acton’s mom remained married after the allegations.
“Within the courthouse after they had been charged, I went to present her a kiss, and she or he simply turned her cheek away. That was the final time I ever noticed her,” Acton mentioned within the 2019 interview about her mom. “I used to be fortunate that it bought dangerous sufficient, as a result of it bought me out of there.”
Acton’s father obtained custody, which she credited for turning her life round. She then graduated prime of her class in highschool, was homecoming queen, and have become a health care provider.
Ramaswamy has additionally been criticized for making feedback seen as dismissive of his opponents’ experiences, saying that Acton “solely ever talks about one thing that occurred to her” quite than having a constructive message.
