The Republican gubernatorial candidate’s ad features Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, challenging her daughter's account of her childhood.
"My name is Donna Arthur, and I'm Amy Acton's mother," she begins. "It's not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. She lies about her past."
Acton has spoken openly about surviving a painful, unstable and abusive childhood in Youngstown, Ohio. According to statements from Acton and her official gubernatorial campaign website, she moved frequently as a child, living in 18 different homes before age 12. The instability included periods of homelessness, when she and her brother slept in a cement-block basement and lived in a tent in the middle of winter.
She and her brother also reportedly endured severe neglect, hunger, and physical and sexual abuse while in the custody of their birth mother and stepfather. Acton has described being locked in dark basements, living in constant fear of her mother's violent temper and becoming a "frequent-flyer" with child protective services.
At age 12, Acton testified before a grand jury after her stepfather was arrested and indicted on charges of sexually abusing her. Following that 1978 court appearance, custody was awarded to her biological father.
Acton, now a preventive medicine and public health physician, has said she has not seen or spoken to her birth mother since that day in court 48 years ago. She has said her mother refused to kiss her goodbye and fled the state with her stepfather.
Acton often emphasizes that her experiences inspired her dream of entering public health and "becoming a helper." She also credits the systems that eventually worked with helping her survive.
Although the political ad featuring Acton's estranged mother disputes her account, public and legal records support key elements of the Democrat's statements about her childhood.
The ad has drawn bipartisan criticism, including from prominent Republicans such as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who supports Ramaswamy's candidacy but said the campaign crossed an ethical line by challenging Acton's account of childhood abuse and homelessness.
Some Republicans, however, have defended the ad as legitimate political criticism.
"I have to admit that I'm a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America," Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday during a press conference and campaign appearance ahead of a rally in Cincinnati.
"I would say to Ohio Republicans, do you actually think that Amy Acton is unfit to serve as governor of the state of Ohio? I do," he added.
John Stover, president of Ohio Value Voters, agrees that the mother's allegations are relevant to voters evaluating Acton's credibility.
"Nobody knows us better than our own family," he submits. "Amy Acton's mother knows her daughter quite well. At the beginning of what was aired by Vivek Ramaswamy ... Amy Acton's mother said, 'I love my daughter, but she has a problem,' and the problem is that she lies, and she's lied starting from the time she was a little girl."
Despite calls to stop airing the ad, Ramaswamy’s campaign is putting $4 million behind it.
Acton has accused Ramaswamy of exploiting her mother for political gain. Her brother, Philip Stearns, called the commercial "a despicable low."
