Ohio voters decide governor's race amid Ramaswamy attack ad controversy
Vivek Ramaswamy and Amy Acton head to the polls after unprecedented spending and a bipartisan backlash over a controversial ad.
What to know
- Vivek Ramaswamy and Amy Acton face Ohio voters on November 4 in a gubernatorial race drawing over $100 million in spending—the highest in state history.
- Ramaswamy's controversial October ad featuring Acton's estranged mother backfired, drawing bipartisan criticism including from Republican Gov. DeWine, while Acton surged in late fundraising and Cook Political Report shifted the race in her favor.
- A Democratic victory would end Ohio's 16-year Republican gubernatorial streak and elect the first woman governor; a Ramaswamy win would make him the first Indian-American to hold the seat.
- The race reflects Ohio's shifting political dynamics: once a Democratic stronghold, it has moved right in presidential contests but remains competitive at the gubernatorial level.
The dispute Whether Ramaswamy's use of Acton's estranged mother—who lost custody due to her husband's rape indictment—constitutes fair political criticism or an unforgivable breach of campaign decorum. · positions read across 2 posts and comments
The ad crossed a moral line and reflects a new low in campaign ethics; Ramaswamy should have known better.
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“It's actually the nastiest campaign ad I've ever seen, and this has been a pretty dirty campaign”
Paul Beck · Washington Examiner ↗
The ad is a legitimate attack on Acton's truthfulness and record; critics are overreacting for political reasons.
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“Watching Amy, it's like, every speech, she just got back from a really long happy hour with Kamala Harris”
Don Jr. · X ↗
“I think her brother adds credibility to her response and that is, of course, he was there, and he also was somebody who was protected in this case by Amy Acton”
Paul Beck, Ohio State University political science professor emeritus · Washington Examiner ↗
Amy Acton Democratic candidate for Ohio governor
Vivek Ramaswamy Republican candidate for Ohio governor
Mike DeWine Republican Governor of Ohio
Donald Trump President of the United StatesPaul Beck Ohio State University political science professor
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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background
Ohio voters decide governor's race between Ramaswamy and Acton — Voters head to polls on November 4 to choose between Ramaswamy and Acton in a race that has drawn unprecedented spending of over $100 million. If Acton wins, she would be the first Democrat elected Ohio governor in two decades and the first woman to hold the seat. If Ramaswamy prevails, he would be the first Indian-American to hold the position.
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Trump and Vance defend Ramaswamy; DeWine continues criticism
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy's ad decision, with Trump expressing jealousy that he'd never had the opportunity to run such an attack against a rival. Meanwhile, Gov. DeWine continued to side with Acton, demonstrating a split within Ohio Republican leadership.
“a liar with a "serious problem" with being honest about her past…”
— Donna Arthur, Acton's estranged mother, in campaign ad · source -
3 outlets Voters to decide Ohio governor's race after Vivek Ramaswamy ran ad featuring Amy Acton's mother
first by Philadelphia Inquirer, 8d ago · also Hindustan Times, The Hill
2 more headlines
- Amy Acton gains momentum against Vivek Ramaswamy in final Ohio Governor polls: Here's what changed after controversial campaign ad Hindustan Times · 8d ago
- Acton calls Ramaswamy a danger to Ohio The Hill · 8d ago
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🇺🇸 Don Jr. ROASTED Ohio Democrat Amy Acton: “Watching Amy, it’s like, every speech, she just got back from a really long happy hour with Kamala Harris” Acton is running for governor of Ohio against Vivek Ramaswamy. His campaign drew bipartisan backlash over a $4M ad that
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
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🇺🇸 Vivek Ramaswamy went from Ohio favorite to big underdog on Polymarket. Back in February, traders gave the Republican a 62% chance of becoming Ohio’s next governor, with Democrat Amy Acton at 39%. The lines have flipped since then, and Acton is now over 80% while Ramaswamy
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Cook Political Report shifts Ohio governor race toward Acton after ad controversy — Following the backlash to Ramaswamy's ad, the Cook Political Report shifted its rating of the gubernatorial race in Acton's favor. Acton also benefited from a late surge in fundraising after the ad aired.
- 1 day quiet
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Bipartisan backlash hits Ramaswamy over mother ad; DeWine calls it deeply troubling
The ad drew fierce criticism from both sides, including Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who called it "deeply, deeply troubling" and urged Ramaswamy to take it down. Political science professor Paul Beck described it as "the nastiest campaign ad I've ever seen." Acton's brother Phillip Steams released a statement corroborating her account of abuse and condemning Ramaswamy's decision to feature their mother.
“It's actually the nastiest campaign ad I've ever seen, and this has been a pretty dirty campaign…”
— Paul Beck - 1 day quiet
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Acton seeks to end Ohio's 16-year Republican gubernatorial streak
Amy Acton, the state's former COVID-era health director, aims to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and become the first Democrat elected Ohio governor in two decades.
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background
Recent polls show Acton leading Ramaswamy within margin of error — Ohio polls show Democrat Amy Acton ahead of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, though most leads remain within the surveys' margins of error.
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Ramaswamy campaign releases ad featuring Acton's estranged mother — In October, Ramaswamy's campaign aired a 60-second advertisement featuring Donna Arthur, Acton's estranged mother, calling Acton "a liar" with a "serious problem" with honesty about her past. Arthur had lost custody of her children decades earlier after Acton's stepfather was indicted for raping Acton from ages 9 to 12.