‘I’ve never seen anything uglier’: Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad featuring candidate’s mother goes too far, says social media

The race to be Ohio’s next governor just reached a new low. Just two weeks ahead of the election on November 3, Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is under fire for an attack ad featuring his opponent’s estranged mother. The Ramaswamy campaign’s ad features Donna Arthur, the mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton. “It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar,” Arthur says in the ad, alleging that Acton has lied about being homeless as a child. “Don’t let her become your governor. If you think she’ll make your life better, you’re fooling yourself.” The ad immediately drew backlash, particularly given Arthur and Acton’s strained relationship. Acton and Arthur say they have not seen each other since Acton was 12 years old, when they went to court in 1978, as Arthur’s husband, who was Acton’s stepfather, was charged with sexually abusing Acton as a child for years. Arthur did not address the charges in the ad. Now, both civilians and public figures are weighing in on the discourse, with most decrying Ramaswamy’s ad as a bridge too far—and potentially as the final nail in the coffin for his campaign. Acton and Ramaswamy respond Representativ…

≈