UPDATE: “Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s team confirmed late Tuesday that it produced a controversial advertisement featuring the estranged mother of Amy Acton, 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.” More here.
The Hill had the early report on the slimiest negative ad of the campaign season:
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s (D) mother called her a “liar” in a new ad, as her brother labelled the video “a despicable low” on Tuesday ahead of the state’s elections in November.
“I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent — it is not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar,” Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, appeared to say in the ad.…
The ad appears to be a campaign-style video, but it is unclear who is backing or paying for it.
The bar is so low for the GOP that they have now decided to platform the estranged mother of a Democratic candidate, while allowing her to spread provable lies, and failing to mention that the candidate was SEXUALLY abused by her stepfather. … Vivek Ramaswamy chose to stand with Acton’s birth mother, who enabled the abuse.
Meet one Ohio voter who was none too happy:
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was brutally heckled over a controversial ad featuring his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her daughter a “liar,” despite a documented history of abuse and neglect in the family.
…
{A]n angry protester confronted him almost immediately, according to CNN reporting and footage shared by Ethan Lynne, a communications staffer for Acton’s campaign.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s first public appearance today didn’t go well: https://t.co/KDAZ9fSF8k
— Ethan Lynne (@ethanclynne) October 20, 2026
Audience members were still settling into their chairs when a man near the front of the crowd stood up. While audio from the footage doesn’t completely pick up all of the man’s shouts, both the phrase “Amy Acton’s mother” and references to “rape” that the Democrat endured as a child were clearly audible.
“She was 12 years old!” he screamed as fellow attendees stood up to film him.
Team Acton has fired back with their own ad:
Hours after her estranged mother ripped her in a viral video, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton (D) posted a new ad on Tuesday where her brother praised the progressive candidate for defending him when they were both abused as children.
Phil Stearns, Acton’s brother, also blasted her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy over the critical ad with their mom.
“Shame on Vivek,” Stearns said, while shaking his head in disgust. “The contempt he has for Amy is the contempt he has for Ohio. He’s not fit to lead.”
DEVELOPING…