Acton calls Ramaswamy a danger to Ohio

Democratic candidate Amy Acton has called her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, a “danger to my state” after his campaign aired an advert featuring her estranged mother. Speaking to reporters outside the Franklin County Board of Elections, Acton described the advert as “absolutely despicable”. In it, Donna Arthur calls her daughter a liar. Acton says she has not seen her mother for nearly 50 years; court records show Arthur lost custody of Acton and her brother after Arthur’s husband was accused of sexually assaulting Acton as a child.

The advert drew criticism from politicians in both parties, including Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, who urged Ramaswamy to remove it. President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy’s decision to air it. Ramaswamy said the advert’s planned run had ended and that his campaign had put up four others. His campaign initially said it would spend $4 million on the advert, but advertising data cited by the Associated Press put the amount spent at roughly $1 million. The dispute has become a prominent issue in the closing days of Ohio’s governor’s race, with voting scheduled for 3 November.