Ohio Democrat’s family criticizes Vivek Ramaswamy for bringing up estranged mother in gubernatorial ad
Amy Acton’s brother calls campaigning on his sister’s sexual abuse from their mother’s husband ‘a despicable low’ The family of Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio, is criticizing her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy for using Acton’s estranged mother in a recently released campaign ad. In the ad, which has circulated among conservatives on social media, her mother, Donna Arthur, said: “She…
Key points
- Amy Acton's brother condemned Vivek Ramaswamy for using their estranged mother in a campaign ad.
- The ad features Donna Arthur saying Acton lied about growing up in a tent.
- Ramaswamy's spokesperson called Acton a serial fabulist with problems with the truth.
The family of Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio, is criticizing her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy for using Acton's estranged mother in a campaign ad. In the ad, which has circulated among conservatives on social media, her mother, Donna Arthur, says Acton's account of growing up in a tent is untrue and that she has lied her entire life.
The contest between Acton and Ramaswamy to lead the right-leaning state is regarded as one of the uglier races in the 3 November midterm elections, with polls indicating either candidate could win.
Brother condemns the ad
In a Tuesday statement released by Acton's campaign, her brother Philip Stearns said Acton is estranged from their mother, who married a man who sexually abused Acton when she was 12. He said Arthur stayed in the marriage even after her husband was arrested and her children were taken from her.
Stearns said it was not surprising that Ramaswamy had "stooped to such a despicable low" by turning the abuse into a political talking point, adding that the attack reveals who Ramaswamy is at his core.
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
— Philip Stearns
Campaign response and reaction
Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck said the campaign does not know what happened between Acton and her mother, who first spoke out about Acton in 2020, but called Acton a "serial fabulist" with serious problems with the truth. Luck said those who know Acton best, including her former boss, former state colleagues, fellow physicians and her own mother, are warning Ohioans not to vote for her.
Democrats condemned the ad. Cincinnati-area congressman Greg Landsman called it "one of the most despicable things I've ever seen in politics", and the Democratic Governors Association said Ramaswamy has shown there is no depth he will not sink to. Acton, who directed Ohio's public health department between 2019 and 2020, has refused to debate Ramaswamy and has called him a "chronic liar".
