CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Three Chillicothe city council members criticized an ad in the Ohio governor’s race on Tuesday, saying it invokes Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton’s past abuse — including two members who say they support her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy.
Third Ward Councilman Gunner Barnes wrote in a Facebook post:
“The new political ad Vivek Ramaswamy is using against Dr Amy Acton’s past sexual and physical abuse as a way of trying to win the governor race is one of sickest things I’ve ever seen.”
“I have friends who have went thru this type of horrible behavior and my own mother went through it. For people to see this and have to relive it is disgusting and it shows how crazy people will act to get what they want.”
“In the final hours, we see how people truly are. This should be a reminder that everyone has a past and we should respect it and be kind. Always. Regardless of opinions. Let’s hope this an eye opening lesson.”
Read the original post: Gunner Barnes on Facebook
Councilman Dan DeMint wrote in his own post that he supports Ramaswamy, but not the ad:
“This is actually sad to me. This doesn’t feel right.”
“I couldn’t approve this kind of thing. Voters just need to know the platform and the facts. Bringing family into politics – especially Mommas – to disparage and degrade their own is not the way.”
“Let me add that I support Vivek 100%. This isn’t meant to be an attack or an endorsement. Just simply about being better.”
Read the original post: Dan DeMint on Facebook
Fourth Ward Councilman Richard McQuirt shared DeMint’s post on his council page and added:
“My brother councilman Demint standing on business!”
“Brother I couldnt agree more. Theres no way I allow that ad to go out for my campaign. Idk if its just because im more involved now or what, but the ads seem way out of line on both sides this election cycle. I definitely appreciate your courage for saying so. I am definitely a conservative and but Im also a very protective family man. Vivek is the best choice. Just a poor decision to bring families into the mix.”
Read the original post: Richard McQuirt on Facebook
The video at the center of the dispute is a roughly one-minute clip of Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, urging Ohioans not to vote for her daughter. It carries no on-screen disclaimer identifying who paid for it, and ad trackers say it has not aired on television. The clip was first published Monday night by an Ohio political blogger, who said he obtained it from a voter who recorded it while taking part in a poll. Who produced it remains unclear. It spread quickly on social media and was shared by Donald Trump Jr.
Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, has been estranged from her mother since childhood. She has said she has not seen her mother since she was about 12 years old, when a man her mother married abused her and faced criminal charges — an account she first told publicly in 2019, including a period when the family lived in a tent at a campground outside Youngstown. Her brother’s statement says the children were removed from their mother’s custody after the arrest and that their mother remained married to the man until his death.
Acton responded Tuesday that her mother is the one lying. “It’s awful to see her this way, and it’s even more incredible to see that my opponent (Ramaswamy) has taken advantage of someone who’s clearly not well, who is older,” she told WOSU.
The campaign of Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy did not say whether it was involved in producing the video. In a statement, campaign spokeswoman Connie Luck said the people who know Acton best, including her mother, are “clearly warning Ohioans not to vote for her,” and called Acton a “serial fabulist.”
Ohio voters decide the governor’s race on Nov. 3. Polling in the race has been close, with some surveys showing Acton ahead and others putting the contest within the margin of error.
The ad features Acton’s mother speaking on camera. A screenshot from the ad shows her saying: “I love my daughter but when I saw her lying about her opponent” — the sentence continues past the frame. Acton’s brother issued a statement Tuesday morning addressing her past, carried in a post by Acton.
LIVE UPDATE — 4:24 P.M. Watch: the video shares Dr. Amy Acton’s new ad in the Ohio governor’s race targeting Vivek Ramaswamy.
