Ramaswamy’s Ohio Ad Targets Acton’s Abuse History
Ramaswamy’s campaign released an ad last week featuring Acton’s mother urging Ohioans not to vote for her daughter and accusing her of lying. The two have been estranged for nearly 50 years, since they last met in court during a case involving Acton’s stepfather, who was accused of raping and sexually abusing her as a child.
Acton was 12 when she told authorities about the abuse. A grand jury indicted her stepfather, but he left Ohio and did not face a conviction. Acton’s mother supported him in court; the couple later left the state together, and he remained married to her until his death in 2004.
Ramaswamy defended the ad, saying candidates point out where they believe opponents are flawed. He also criticized Acton for complaining about what someone else had done to her. Vice-President JD Vance and President Donald Trump backed the ad as well, with Trump urging Ramaswamy to keep it running.
The ad and its defense have prompted criticism that Acton is being attacked over the abuse she experienced. The arguments also raise conflicting claims: that she fabricated the abuse, and that it left her unfit to govern. Acton is the Democratic nominee for governor; Ramaswamy is the Republican nominee.
Ramaswamy’s Ad Turns Acton’s Childhood Abuse Into a Campaign Weapon
Ramaswamy’s campaign has made Amy Acton’s childhood sexual abuse a political target. Its ad features Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar and telling Ohioans not to vote for her, while omitting the history behind their estrangement.
Acton said she was abused by her stepfather, who was indicted after she told authorities about it at age 12. He left Ohio, but no conviction followed. Acton’s mother supported him in court, and the couple left the state together. They had not spoken for nearly 50 years.
Ramaswamy defended the ad by saying politics means pointing out opponents’ flaws, and criticized Acton for complaining about what someone else had done to her. Vance and Trump joined in defending the attack, with Trump urging Ramaswamy to keep it on air.
The defense leaves a stark contradiction: it casts Acton as both a liar about the abuse and as someone supposedly disqualified by its effects. Instead of addressing her candidacy, the campaign has invited voters to judge her for violence committed against her as a child. That is the shameful choice at the heart of this ad.
Acton Abuse Ad Fuels Outcry as Ramaswamy Defends Campaign’s Criticism
The dispute over Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign ad has become a test of whether candidates can criticize an opponent without being accused of exploiting her past. The ad features Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling the Democratic Ohio governor nominee a liar and urging voters not to support her.
The family history is painful: Acton said her stepfather sexually abused her when she was a child, and he was indicted after she told authorities. He left the state, but was not convicted. Acton and her mother have been estranged for nearly 50 years, following a court appearance in the case.
Ramaswamy says candidates should point out what they see as an opponent’s flaws. He also criticized Acton for complaining about what someone else had done to her. Vance and Trump defended the ad, with Trump urging Ramaswamy to leave it up.
Critics argue the campaign is blaming Acton for abuse she suffered. But the ad’s defenders frame it as a challenge to her honesty and fitness for office, not as a claim that the abuse was her fault. The competing arguments now put Acton’s character—and the campaign’s decision to feature her mother—at the center of the Ohio race.
Reported by The Guardian US, The Washington Examiner, Deseret News.
