Why an attack ad featuring a candidate's mom is sparking controversy

An attack ad featuring an Ohio gubernatorial candidate's estranged mother is stirring up controversy and drawing bipartisan attention with just weeks until midterm elections.

The campaign of Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate, released an ad this week showing the mother of his Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton, calling her a liar.

The ad, which circulated on social media, quickly sparked backlash because Acton's campaign says she has not spoken to her mother since she was 12. In 1978, Acton's stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was indicted by a grand jury and charged with sexually abusing her. Arthur's rape charge led to him and his wife, Donna Stearns Arthur, losing custody of Acton and her siblings.

Acton called the ad "awful" in an Oct. 20 interview with Ohio PBS station WOSU, and her campaign also put out a statement from Acton's brother denouncing the ad and corroborating Acton's account of their childhood.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, called on Ramaswamy to take down the ad, which his campaign said it will not do. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance defended him over the clip.

Here's what to know about the ad and the ensuing controversy.

What did the ad about Amy Acton say?

Acton's biological mother, Donna Stearns Arthur, disputed her daughter's accounts about her upbringing and urged voters not to support her.

"It's not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem," Arthur says in the ad. "She is a liar. She lies about her past."

"My daughter needs help, and she can't help you if she needs help herself," she continued.

Why was the ad controversial?

The ad sparked controversy because Acton has been estranged from her mother since 1978, when her stepfather was charged with raping 12-year-old Acton, according to Acton's campaign and records previously reviewed by USA TODAY.

Records previously obtained by USA TODAY show that Arthur's husband, Cledith Arthur, was charged with rape in 1978, for which he pleaded not guilty. A 1976 record from the Austintown Police Department identified Acton as the victim.

Acton campaign adviser Justin Barasky also posted court records on X, saying, "Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad is disgusting—there is no lie, no scam, and no shameful act too low for him."

Amy Acton's response to ad featuring her estranged mother

Acton's campaign released a response ad and a statement from her brother, Philip Stearns, who said, "It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at 12 years old from our birth mother's husband into a political talking point."

Her team said Donna Stearns Arthur was married to Cledith Arthur until his death.

In an interview with WOSU, Acton said of seeing her mother in the ad, "It's awful to see her this way."

"It's even more incredible to see that my opponent has taken advantage of someone who's clearly not well, who is older, and this is totally in line with who he is," she said.

What has Vivek Ramaswamy said about the ad controversy?

Ramaswamy on Oct. 20 acknowledged that his campaign produced the ad in comments to the USA TODAY Ohio Statehouse Bureau.

"Her mother has spoken out for years and I don't know Amy Acton's mother and I've never met Amy Acton either," Ramaswamy said. "What I do know is that Amy Acton has been repeatedly and serially dishonest during this campaign and for much of her record in public service and I do believe that that record deserves to be scrutinized."

Connie Luck, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy's campaign, told The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network, that it is not removing the campaign ad.

Luck's statement to the outlet doubled down on support for the ad and accused Acton of being a "serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor."

GOP leaders criticize ad, while Trump defends Ramaswamy

While a slew of Democratic leaders – like Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey – denounced the ad featuring Acton's mother, so too did some Republicans.

DeWine, who endorsed Ramaswamy in the race and previously oversaw Acton as the director of Ohio's Department of Health, told reporters on Oct. 22 that it was "wrong" for Ramaswamy to run the ad.

"The ad on its face is deeply, deeply troubling, but when you know the rest of the story, when you know the backstory ... When you know that, it just, to me, makes it more serious. It makes it just more wrong," he said.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich said in an appearance on MS NOW that "there is nothing appropriate" about the ad.

"Any claim of sexual abuse or anything that could lead to a discussion about that has no place in American politics," he said.

Alternatively, Trump and Vance defended Ramaswamy. The vice president said politicians are "whining" about the ad, while Trump in a social media post called it "very powerful."

"The Press is trying to convince everyone that this Ad is bad, because it’s so good! Who wouldn’t use such an Ad? I would, it’s called, 'hitting pay dirt,'" Trump said.

The president doubled down on defending the ad on Oct. 22 and 23, telling reporters, "If it were my mother speaking badly about me, you'd be making it the number one story on the news."

Contributing: Jessie Balmert, Emily R. Condon, Zac Anderson

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.