Exclusive: Ramaswamy doubles down on explosive ad featuring rival's mother, despite backlash

Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for Ohio governor is pouring $4 million into a bombshell ad in which his opponent's estranged mother attacks her daughter — doubling down on the message despite fierce bipartisan backlash, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Ramaswamy is gambling that the deeply personal attack by Amy Acton's mother — who Acton has said sided with her stepfather after he sexually assaulted Acton when she was 12 — will resonate with voters. After the ad began appearing Tuesday on social media, many fellow Republicans urged Ramaswamy to distance his campaign from it. They warned it could backfire at a time when the controversy over the Epstein files has elevated the sexual abuse of children as a national campaign issue. Driving the news: Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed to Axios that it produced the ad, which began circulating on social media late Monday without language identifying its sponsor. Sources close to Ramaswamy's campaign said the ad tested well with "persuadable" voters, prompting the decision to launch a $4 million statewide campaign that began streaming Tuesday night. Catch up quick: The minute-long commercial features Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood and urging Ohioans not to vote for her. "She lies about her past," Arthur says. "She's lied her entire life." Arthur also disputes Acton's account of experiencing homelessness as a child. The other side: Acton, a physician, has said she was sexually abused at age 12 by her stepfather, who faced criminal charges, and that her mother sided with him. Acton and her brother were removed from their mother's custody. According to her brother, their mother remained married to Acton's alleged abuser until his death. Acton, 60, has said she hasn't seen her mother since childhood. In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday, Acton said that "between the ages of 10 and 12, I was sexually abused by her husband, while my birth mother did nothing to protect me." "I've always known that she was deeply sick and unwell, and it's sad to see Vivek Ramaswamy exploit her all for his own political gain." Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, called Ramaswamy's ad "disgusting." What they're saying: Despite bipartisan criticism, Ramaswamy's campaign continued to treat the mother's statements as campaign gold. "This is a campaign-ending moment for Amy Acton. The people who know her best keep warning Ohioans about her," Ramaswamy campaign manager Jonathan Ewing told Axios. Several prominent Republicans and conservative commentators blasted the ad, arguing that it could generate sympathy for Acton. Republican strategist David Urban on CNN drew a parallel to the Epstein controversy, warning that voters are especially sympathetic to victims of sexual assault and that the ad could backfire. GOP strategist Liz Mair called it a "terrible ad" and agreed that it would make voters feel sympathetic toward Acton. "It seems crazy to me one would assume this would work and not backfire," conservative commentator Mary Katharine Ham posted on X. Yes, but: Some conservatives defended the commercial, including Donald Trump Jr., who urged Ohio voters to "watch [it] and think about what it means." By the numbers: A mid-October Marist survey showed Acton leading Ramaswamy 50% to 43% among likely voters. What's next: Ramaswamy and Republican Sen. Jon Husted are set to campaign with Vice President Vance in Cincinnati on Wednesday.

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