A political ad featuring Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, has sparked outrage on social media, with many accusing her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, of a sleazy attack.
The video shows Arthur labeling Acton as a “liar,” rejecting claims about her upbringing, and urging Ohio voters to steer clear of her daughter. Acton’s campaign addressed this in a statement on Tuesday.
🚨 BREAKING OVERNIGHT: In a huge surprise, Amy Acton’s own MOTHER just went on camera urging Ohioans NOT to vote for her daughter for governor “My name is Donna Arthur and I’m Amy Acton’s mother…Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true.” “My daughter needs help…Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor. If you think she’ll make your life better, you’re fooling yourself. It will only get worse.” 🤯🤯 Now her own mother says it all isn’t true. Fifteen days out, this is one HELL of an October surprise for Ohio Democrats and Vivek Ramaswamy must be loving it! Acton’s “hard luck” childhood story has been the heart of her campaign pitch since day one! Arthur first disputed Acton’s story back in 2020, when Acton was running Ohio’s COVID response LISTEN TO THE MOM VOTE RED https://t.co/VeTRzxB8BG
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 20, 2026
Philip Stearns, Acton’s brother, commented on this, saying it is typical for Ramaswamy to sink to such a low by turning Amy’s past trauma into a political weapon.
Amy Acton’s brother slams Vivek Ramaswamy featuring her estranged mother in a campaign ad. “After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died. This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants.”
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) October 20, 2026
He went on to explain that, after their mother was removed from their lives, she remained married to Amy’s abuser. Stearns emphasized that this kind of attack reflects Ramaswamy’s true character—someone willing to do anything to gain an edge.
The Daily Caller has sought out a response from Ramaswamy’s campaign, but it’s still unclear if they played a part in the video’s production.
In a 2019 interview, Acton described her childhood as marked by neglect and hardship, with instability stemming from her mother’s relationships. She revealed that she suffered abuse from a man her mother had married. Stearns noted that their mother continued her marriage to this man until his death.
Arthur has rejected the allegations, asserting that the claims about Acton’s youth are false. She stated in a 2020 interview that she supported her husband amid the accusations, which resulted in her separation from her children.
The video attracted criticism from both sides of the political aisle on X.
Tim Carney from the Washington Examiner tweeted, “This ad could sink Vivek.”
Independent journalist Lee Fang expressed his disappointment with the ad, stating, “He is very intelligent and highlights real policy problems. But his latest ad exploiting the abusive mother of Amy Acton disgusts me.”
Robby Soave from Reason remarked, “This is sick stuff. Amy Acton’s enemies are trotting out her estranged and allegedly abusive mother to malign her. If anything, I feel more sympathetic to Amy Acton after watching this. I suspect I’m not alone!”
Ryan Grim, a progressive reporter, stated, “What Ramaswamy did was truly beyond the pale.”
A few weeks ago, the Ramaswamy campaign also had to remove a registered sex offender from one of their ads and delete a related social media video.
