Ohio Republicans are in turmoil after gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy released a controversial ad featuring his opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother, who hasn’t spoken to her daughter since 1978. The ad, which references Acton’s childhood trauma, has sparked fierce bipartisan backlash, with even some Republicans calling it a misfire just two weeks before Election Day. “We’ve lost the plot,” said one GOP strategist, while another bluntly stated, “We now deserve to lose this race.”
The ad has roiled Ohio’s political landscape, with Republican Sen. Jon Husted and other state GOP figures criticizing the move, particularly its potential impact on women voters. Recent polls show Acton leading by seven points, though Ohio has historically favored Republicans. Ramaswamy’s campaign is spending $4 million to ensure the ad reaches undecided voters, but the risk of backlash is high with little time to recover.
Vice President J.D. Vance, campaigning in Cincinnati, defended the ad as a game-changing strategy, urging Republicans to focus on the broader stakes of the election. However, other prominent Republicans, including former Gov. Nikki Haley and strategist Mike Murphy, have condemned the ad as political suicide. The Columbus Dispatch also criticized the ad in an editorial, calling it a shameful politicization of childhood trauma.
Acton’s campaign responded with an ad of its own, featuring her brother Phil Stearns, who condemned Ramaswamy’s tactics. “She was 11- and 12-years-old, and to think that that's somehow a talking point, shame on Vivek,” Stearns said, emphasizing Ramaswamy’s lack of fitness to lead.