Vice President JD Vance has publicly supported Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy amid controversy over an attack ad targeting Democratic opponent Amy Acton. The ad features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling Acton a liar. Arthur previously had custody of Acton, who was 12 years old when her stepfather was charged with raping her. Acton was removed from Arthur’s custody in the late 1970s after her husband was released on bond and the family fled the state.
Vance criticized other Republicans for focusing on the ad rather than broader issues. At a campaign rally in Cincinnati, he said, “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.” He also told the crowd, “if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days.”
Ramaswamy’s campaign initially stated the ad was not produced by them, but later acknowledged they created it. The campaign plans to spend $4 million running the ad statewide. Acton’s campaign responded with an ad featuring her younger brother Phil Stearns, who criticized Ramaswamy for using their shared history of abuse for political gain.
Ramaswamy also justified the ad by blaming Acton for refusing to debate him. Vance went further, claiming that “People have called Vivek Ramaswamy a murderer in some of the advertisements ran against him,” though it is unclear which advertisement he was referring to. Ramaswamy shared clips of Vance making the claim on social media, describing it as “hard facts” and a “strong message to Republicans & a strong reminder to everyone.”
Advertisements produced by Acton’s campaign and the Democratic Governors Association Super PAC criticize Ramaswamy’s tenure as a pharmaceutical executive for publicly lauding an Alzheimer’s drug that eventually proved ineffective. However, Ohio Capital Journal was unable to identify any ads that suggest Ramaswamy is a murderer.
