COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine denounced a controversial advertising Featuring Dr.’s ex-mother. Amy Actonsiding with the Democratic candidate for governor and former member of her cabinet against her Republican rival, Vivek Ramaswamy.
In a meeting with reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, DeWine called the ad “deeply, deeply disturbing.”
“It’s wrong to run this ad,” he said. “I urge the Ramaswamy campaign to withdraw this.”
The Ramaswamy campaign did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The remarks by DeWine, who is term-limited, put him at odds with Ramaswamy, whom he supported to succeed him. The biotech entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate took responsibility for the 60-second video and is spending $4 million to release it online and on television.
With his remarks, DeWine entered the fray of a growing divide among Ohio Republicans over the ad — as the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races appear much closer than expected in a state that Donald Trump has won handily three times. The video shows Acton’s biological mother, Donna Arthur, calling her a “liar” and insinuating that she has mental health issues.
Acton, Ohio Health Director in the Age of COVIDhas made no secret that she faced homelessness and abuse as a child. Arthur lost custody of his children after their stepfather was charged with raping Acton. Acton’s campaign released a video Tuesday of his brother that supported his story of living in a tent and being abused.
Republican Vice President JD Vance, a native of Ohio, expressed his disgust during a campaign event in Ohio on Wednesday, with Republicans “whining” about the ad as low and in bad taste. But Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted — in a tight race against Democrat Sherrod Brown — said he would not have run the ad, as did Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a candidate for state auditor.
Another influential Ohio Republican, former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, published a lengthy essay on X overnight, suggesting that “the ground may have just collapsed under the Republican campaign for governor of Ohio” and urging every Republican to distance themselves from it.
Nikki Haley, who feuded with Ramaswamy during the 2024 Republican presidential primary over the personal nature of his attacks, called him “nasty” in a social media post Tuesday. “It’s a shame he keeps getting away with it,” she wrote.
Amid the turmoil, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou issued what sounded like a warning or threat.
“The final days of a difficult campaign are always the best time to find out who is really with you and who is posting and pretending,” he wrote. “Yes, we are counting points.” The quote was followed by a winking emoji.
Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog group, reported that many national conservative media outlets promoted and praised the ad. Ramaswamy’s campaign manager, Jonathan Ewing, called it “a campaign-ending moment for Amy Acton.”
Gateway Pundit’s Wayne Allyn Root called it “absolutely hilarious” and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles described it as “brilliant.”
Police and court records show that Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with raping her stepdaughter, then 12, in July 1978, after Acton’s biological father reported him to authorities. The abuse allegedly occurred from December 1976 to April 1978. Cledith Arthur, who has since died, failed to appear for her court appearance and became a fugitive.
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