Ohio governor's race takes ugly turn with attack ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother

Updated on: October 20, 2026 / 9:38 PM EDT / CBS News

Ohio governor's race takes ugly turn with attack ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother

TL;DR

  • An attack ad features Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling Acton a "liar" and defending Vivek Ramaswamy.
  • Acton's campaign and brother denounced the ad as a "despicable low" and accused Ramaswamy of using Acton's past sexual abuse for political gain.
  • Ramaswamy confirmed the ad is from his campaign and defended its content, stating that people close to Acton have urged voters to support him.
  • The ad, which lacks disclosure of who paid for it, has circulated on social media but has not aired on TV.
  • Acton has previously spoken about being abused by her stepfather and struggles with poverty and homelessness in her early childhood.
  • Acton last saw her mother in court when her stepfather was charged with rape, after which Acton and her brother were removed from their custody.