The Briefing
- Ohio's term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine publicly called Thursday on GOP nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to pull a campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton — while keeping his endorsement of Ramaswamy intact.
- The one-minute spot features Donna Arthur, the mother Acton has not seen since a 1978 courtroom, calling her daughter a liar; Acton's brother Philip Stearns says their mother remained married to Acton's rapist until his death.
- Ramaswamy's campaign is pouring $4 million into broadcasting the ad even as Republican voices from Vice President JD Vance to President Trump split sharply over whether the controversy helps or harms the ticket ahead of the November 3 vote.
Governor Breaks With His Own Party Over the Ad
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stepped into one of the most combustible political fights of the 2026 midterm season Thursday, publicly urging Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to take down a campaign ad that has generated bipartisan condemnation in the final days before voters head to the polls. It was the first time DeWine had commented on the spot.
Speaking to reporters outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, DeWine called the ad "deeply, deeply troubling" and left no ambiguity about what he wanted done with it. "It's wrong to run this ad," he told the assembled press corps, adding that he would urge Ramaswamy's campaign to take it down immediately. The governor pointed to his earlier career prosecuting sexual assault cases as the lens through which he viewed the ad, describing the family history it invokes as especially troubling.
Despite his rebuke, DeWine made clear he was not withdrawing his endorsement of Ramaswamy. The move underscores the tension the sitting governor is navigating as his party fractures over what observers are calling one of the most divisive campaign ads in recent Ohio political memory.
What the Ad Shows — and the Context It Buries
The one-minute spot features Donna Arthur, the estranged birth mother of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton, looking directly into the camera and calling her daughter a liar, while also insinuating that Acton has mental health issues. The ad first surfaced in a post by an Ohio political blogger and spread rapidly across social media platforms overnight Monday without a "paid for" disclaimer, which is required by law before a political advertisement can air on television. Ramaswamy's campaign initially declined to say whether it was behind the spot; by Tuesday evening, the campaign confirmed it had produced the ad and announced plans to keep it on the air.
What the spot omits is as significant as what it contains. Acton has spoken publicly about being sexually abused by her mother's husband and removed from her mother's custody at age 12, along with her younger brother Philip Stearns, who was nine at the time. The last time Acton saw her mother was in a 1978 courtroom when she testified against her stepfather.
Her Brother's Response Goes Public
Stearns responded without restraint. "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," he said in a statement released through Acton's campaign. He called the commercial an act of profound exploitation, accusing Ramaswamy of converting his sister's childhood suffering into a political instrument. Acton's campaign followed with a counter-ad featuring Stearns speaking directly to voters, closing with the line: "Shame on Vivek."
Acton herself described Ramaswamy's decision as entirely consistent with what she has seen from him throughout the race. "It's awful to see her this way, and it's even more incredible to see that my opponent has taken advantage of someone who's clearly not well, who is older," she said, adding that the move was "totally in line with who he is."
A Relationship That Runs Deep
The political weight of this dispute is amplified by DeWine's personal history with Acton. She served as Ohio's director of public health under him during the early, most consequential months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and DeWine has stepped in to defend her more than once this campaign cycle. Earlier in 2026, when Ramaswamy aired ads falsely crediting Acton — rather than DeWine — with having postponed Ohio's March 2020 presidential primary, DeWine publicly set the record straight, telling reporters: "I told her to issue the health order. The decision was mine."
Ramaswamy's Campaign Doubles Down
Rather than retreating in the face of mounting criticism, Ramaswamy's operation leaned in. Campaign manager Jonathan Ewing told Axios the ad represented "a campaign-ending moment for Amy Acton." The campaign confirmed it was committing $4 million to keep the spot running on television and digital platforms through Election Day, framing the backlash as proof the ad was resonating.
The Party Cracks Open
The fallout exposed real divisions inside Ohio's Republican establishment. Secretary of State Frank LaRose — who is also on the ballot this fall as a candidate for state auditor — told a Columbus television station he "probably wouldn't run an ad like that." U.S. Senator Jon Husted, who is defending his seat in a competitive race this cycle, sent a statement to the Associated Press saying "I would not have run that ad." Lydia Mihalik, the director of the Ohio Department of Development and a member of DeWine's own cabinet, said the ad had crossed a line "we shouldn't cross."
Vance Goes on Offense Against His Own Side
At the national level, the split grew more pronounced. Vice President JD Vance, attending a campaign rally in Sharonville outside Cincinnati on Wednesday, told fellow Republicans he was "disgusted" by the pushback against the spot — framing critics within his own party as a bigger problem than the ad itself. "Stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race," Vance told supporters, casting the commercial as a legitimate response to what he described as Democratic political attacks. Senator Jon Husted, who shared the stage with Vance and Ramaswamy that evening, notably did not raise the ad during his own remarks at the rally.
Trump Weighs In — Against DeWine
President Donald Trump entered the fray with a post on Truth Social Thursday, defending the ad after DeWine's call for its removal. CBS News reported Trump said he had recommended the "powerful" ad stay up and offered a pointed rebuke of the governor's position, framing the controversy as a media-driven effort to silence Ramaswamy ahead of Election Day.
What's at Stake in the Closing Stretch
Acton is locked in one of the most expensive and closely tracked governor's races in the country, running against Ramaswamy, a biotech billionaire and 2024 presidential candidate whose allied spending has surpassed $120 million. A Marist University survey conducted October 15–18 placed Acton ahead 50 to 43 percent among likely voters; a separate polling average from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ put her lead at roughly three points. Ohio voters cast their final ballots on November 3, and whether this week's furor ends up as an asset or a liability for either candidate may well determine who walks into the governor's office in January.
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