‘Can’t trust Amy Acton’: Viral ad distracts from what’s really at stake in critical race, GOP strategist says
An Ohio political strategist says the governor’s race should focus on former health director Amy Acton’s record, rather than a viral ad by Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy featuring Acton’s estranged mother. The ad drew criticism from Democrats and some Republicans after Acton said she and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody following an allegation that her stepfather sexually abused her. Ramaswamy defended the ad and committed millions of dollars to run it.
Acton’s record as Ohio’s health director during the early COVID-19 pandemic is a central point of criticism. Her department issued restrictions including school and business closures and a nursing-home visitor ban; a court later found the department violated public-records law by withholding facility-level death data, without finding that Acton personally ordered this. A separate court described state actions in a gym closure dispute as “arbitrary, unreasonable, and oppressive”, while former government workers have also criticised Acton’s conduct in strategy meetings.
In short
- Ramaswamy’s ad about Acton’s family history triggered bipartisan criticism.
- A strategist argues Acton’s pandemic record matters more to voters.
- Courts criticised state actions, but did not attribute every decision to Acton personally.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Voters can reasonably argue that Acton’s public record as health director deserves close scrutiny: pandemic restrictions affected schools, businesses and families, and court findings and former officials’ accounts raise questions about transparency and decision-making. On this view, the governor’s race should examine her own role and judgement, while treating the ad’s focus on a painful family history as a distraction from matters relevant to governing.
The case against
Others can reasonably argue that the ad’s use of Acton’s estranged mother and a childhood abuse allegation is an unfair way to attack a candidate, especially when the reported court findings do not establish that Acton personally ordered the withholding of data. They may see the ad’s scale and personal focus as diverting attention from substantive policy debate and risking harm to people connected to the story, while still accepting that Acton’s pandemic record merits scrutiny.
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