The commercial featured Donna Arthur labeling her daughter, Democratic candidate Amy Acton, a liar. It notably omitted that Arthur lost custody of Acton after the candidate’s stepfather was indicted for raping her at age 12. While the campaign initially allocated $4 million for the ad, tracking data suggests they spent only a fraction of that before pulling it from rotation. Ramaswamy dismissed the controversy during a stop in Vandalia, claiming the spot simply ran its course.
Ramaswamy Pulls Attack Ad After Week of Backlash
After a week of intense nationwide condemnation, Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed Thursday that his campaign has stopped airing a controversial attack ad featuring his opponent’s estranged mother. The move comes as the campaign shifts focus, though Ramaswamy offered no apology for the spot’s contents.
Critics argue that removing the ad fails to mitigate the harm caused by its production. Civil rights attorney Areva Martin remarked that while the broadcast has ended, the cruelty of creating the attack remains. The campaign’s decision follows significant fallout, including a rare reversal by The Plain Dealer’s editorial board, which broke its own non-endorsement policy to back Acton. While figures like Donald Trump publicly praised the ad, internal reports suggest other party advisers privately warned that aligning with the narrative was a tactical and moral failure.
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