Acton, who is running for governor of Ohio, has faced renewed public attention over her difficult childhood after the advertisement brought deeply personal family circumstances into the election campaign.
Acton says the advertisement has reopened painful memories of her childhood. She has said she was removed from her mother’s care at the age of 12 after her stepfather was accused of sexually abusing her. Court records cited by PolitiFact show that her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was indicted in 1978 on a charge of raping a 12-year-old girl. He later failed to appear in court and was considered a fugitive. Acton’s campaign says he never faced trial.
Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, has also condemned the advertisement, saying it exploits the abuse their family experienced and turns it into a political weapon. The campaign has released its own response advertisement featuring Stearns discussing their childhood experiences.
The controversy has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who has endorsed Ramaswamy, described the advertisement as deeply troubling and called for its removal. Other critics have questioned the decision to involve a candidate’s estranged family member in a campaign attack.
Ramaswamy, however, has defended the advertisement. His campaign says voters deserve to hear what people close to Acton have to say about her. The Republican candidate has also argued that the election should focus on questions about Acton’s credibility and her record in public office.
After initially circulating online without clear sponsorship information, the advertisement was acknowledged by Ramaswamy’s campaign on 20 October. The campaign announced plans to spend four million dollars promoting it, extending the controversy beyond social media.
Acton previously served as director of the Ohio Department of Health and became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current campaign has focused on issues including public leadership and the state’s future, but the advertisement has brought her personal history to the centre of the race.
With the 3 November election approaching, the dispute has intensified scrutiny of campaign tactics in one of the country’s closely watched gubernatorial contests. It has also renewed debate about the boundaries of political advertising and whether a candidate’s family trauma should be used to influence voters.
For Acton, the controversy has meant confronting painful experiences publicly once again. For Ramaswamy, the decision to promote the advertisement has brought criticism from political figures within his own party as well as from Democrats, keeping the dispute at the forefront of Ohio’s governor’s race.
