Ohio Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Amy Acton Campaign Denounces Controversial Ad Featuring Estranged Mother
Acton's campaign criticized a viral political ad that features her estranged mother accusing her of lying, while the Ramaswamy campaign responded with its own accusations against Acton.
The campaign of Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton condemned a one-minute video that shows a woman identifying herself as Donna Arthur, Acton's estranged mother, calling her daughter a liar and urging voters not to support her. The clip, posted on X by independent journalist Walter Curt, has been shared on social media and by conservative outlets, as well as by Donald Trump Jr.
Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, issued a statement calling the ad a "desperate, disgusting attack" and accusing Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy of exploiting the family's past abuse for political gain. > "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," Stearns said.
The Ramaswamy campaign replied with a lengthy statement alleging that Acton has a history of falsehoods and questioning her record on COVID-19, her personal conduct, and her handling of past domestic incidents. > "We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother, who first spoke out about Amy in 2020, but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor," the spokesperson said.
Acton has previously spoken about a difficult childhood, noting that public school helped her escape homelessness and that she later became a physician. Her campaign website describes her upbringing as marked by abuse, hunger, neglect, and periods of living in a tent during winter.
In response to the controversy, Acton's team released a new advertisement titled "Abuse," featuring her brother discussing the alleged childhood abuse the siblings suffered. Recent polls indicate that Acton leads the race with the Ohio gubernatorial election scheduled in two weeks.