Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad featuring the estranged mother of Amy Acton, his Democratic opponent for Ohio governor, is leaving the state’s airwaves, the Ramaswamy campaign confirmed Thursday.
The ad, which debuted last week to wide bipartisan condemnation, is rotating out after completing its intended run, according to the campaign. The campaign has other ads running in the final days of the race.
In the now-completed ad campaign, Donna Arthur — the mother whom Acton says she has not seen since her then-stepfather was charged with raping her as a young child nearly 50 years ago — calls her daughter a liar and urges Ohioans not to vote for her. The ad does not address details of the rape case. But critics panned the Ramaswamy campaign’s decision to use Arthur as a character witness and dredge up painful family history.
“I’m learning things even about my childhood right now that I did not know,” Acton told reporters Tuesday during a campaign stop in Youngstown. “I think it is despicable. … I’m sure someday I’ll unpack everything that I’m learning here. But I’m just grateful to Ohioans and everyone, really so much support and love that we’ve received.”
The Ramaswamy campaign said last week that the ad would be backed by $4 million in airtime. It began as a minute-long spot but was eventually shortened to a 30-second version. Many, including term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who has endorsed Ramaswamy, had called on him to take down the ad.
“Vivek Ramaswamy should never have run his despicable ad in the first place, and it’s totally unsurprising that he took it off the air in the most cowardly way possible, without even the hint of an apology to Dr. Acton, her family, or to the people of Ohio,” Acton campaign spokesperson Addie Bullock said in a statement Thursday.
The Columbus Dispatch first reported that the ad was ending its run.
“It ran to completion, and we’ve put up four other ads,” Ramaswamy said at a Thursday campaign stop, according to the newspaper.
