Ohio Governor Urges Ramaswamy to Pull Ad Featuring Acton’s Mother
WHO:
NBC News - Ohio Sen. John Husted also distanced himself from the ad.
NBC News - Vice President JD Vance defended the ad, telling Republicans to quit “whining” and focus on winning the election.
NBC News - President Trump praised Ramaswamy’s “very powerful” ad while criticizing DeWine.
NBC News - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called on Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to stop airing an advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton.
BBC News - Vivek Ramaswamy is Acton’s Republican opponent; Acton responded to an attack ad featuring her estranged mother.
BBC News - The ad features Acton’s mother, whose husband was charged with sexually abusing Acton during her childhood.
WHAT:
NBC News - Acton’s brother said in a video released by her campaign that their “birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died.”
NBC News - Acton has said she has not seen or spoken to her mother in nearly 50 years.
CBS News Politics - The ad circulated on social media Monday night.
CBS News Politics - Acton’s estranged mother called her a liar in the ad.
The Nation Politics - Ramaswamy accused Acton of lying about being raped when she was 12 years old.
NBC News - DeWine urged Ramaswamy to take down or stop airing the ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother.
BBC News - The article describes the advertisement as an attack ad and quotes Acton’s response: “This is despicable.”
WHERE:
NBC News - The controversy has roiled Ohio politics.
NBC News - The story concerns Ohio and its governor.
WHY:
NBC News - Some Republicans believe Husted and other candidates could suffer collateral damage because they share the ticket with Ramaswamy.
BBC News - The ad’s subject is Acton’s estranged mother; the article notes that her mother’s husband was charged with sexual abuse in Acton’s childhood.
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 23:05 UTC)
A political ad by Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has sparked a backlash, with Gov. Mike DeWine urging him to take it down or stop airing it. The ad features the estranged mother of Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, who calls her a liar. Ramaswamy has accused Acton of lying about being raped at age 12. Acton responded, “This is despicable,” and has said she has not seen or spoken to her mother in nearly 50 years. In a video released by Acton’s campaign, her brother said their birth mother stayed married to the man who raped Amy until he died. Ohio Sen. John Husted also distanced himself from the ad. Vice President JD Vance defended it, telling Republicans to stop “whining” and focus on winning. President Trump praised the ad as “very powerful” while criticizing DeWine, as the controversy roils Ohio politics.
--
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 19:19 UTC)
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is calling on Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to take down or stop airing an attack ad featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The advertisement circulated on social media Monday night, and Acton’s mother calls her a liar in the video. Ramaswamy has accused Acton of lying about being raped when she was 12 years old. The ad has drawn particular attention because Acton’s mother is estranged from her, and the mother’s husband was charged with sexually abusing Acton during her childhood. Acton responded to the advertisement by calling it “despicable.” DeWine urged Ramaswamy to stop using the ad, which brings a deeply personal and traumatic family history into the Ohio political campaign.
--
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 18:09 UTC)
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is calling on Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to take down or stop airing an attack advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The ad has drawn a sharp response from Acton, who called it “despicable.” It focuses on her mother, whose husband was charged with sexually abusing Acton during her childhood. DeWine’s demand puts the Ohio governor publicly at odds with Ramaswamy over the campaign’s use of this deeply personal family history. Acton and Ramaswamy are opposing candidates in Ohio, and the advertisement has brought her estranged relationship with her mother into the campaign. DeWine is urging Ramaswamy to end the ad’s airing, while Acton has condemned its use of her mother’s image.