DeWine calls on Ramaswamy to take down ad featuring Acton’s mother

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) called on Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to take down an ad featuring his opponent Democrat Amy Acton’s estranged mother.

“The ad is deeply, deeply troubling,” DeWine told reporters outside the Ohio Statehouse, according to The Statehouse News Bureau . “But when you know the rest of the story, when you know the back story, when you know that the husband of the mom was indicted by a grand jury after hearing testimony and that he took off along with the mother, and that the two children never saw the mother after that. When you know that it, just to me, makes it more serious. It makes it just more wrong.”

“It’s wrong to run this ad. … I would urge Ramaswamy’s campaign to take this down,” he concluded.

A journalist followed up with DeWine, asking if he would revoke his endorsement of Ramaswamy over the ad.

“I’m not changing the endorsement. I endorse the whole ticket,” the term-limited Ohio governor said.

The ad, which is airing in Ohio, shows Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter a “liar” and insinuating she suffered from mental health issues. The ad does not provide any context about the estrangement between Acton and her mother; she was taken out of Arthur’s custody at the age of 12.

Acton has talked about experiencing physical and sexual abuse, along with neglect, during her childhood. Her mother stayed with her stepfather after he was charged with sexually abusing Acton when she was 12 years old, according to court documents. Acton says the last time she saw her mother was in court the day her stepfather was taken into custody.

She has called the ad “ despicable ” and added it was “an exploitative thing to do.”

Ramaswamy took credit for the ad Tuesday, with his campaign reportedly spending $4 million on ad spots statewide. In a statement to The Associated Press, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy’s campaign said Acton’s mother was not paid for the one-minute spot.

Vice President Vance came to Ramaswamy’s defense, saying at a campaign rally that the ad “calls it out like it is,” despite multiple GOP lawmakers decrying the ad as offensive .

One of those lawmakers was outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who on Wednesday in a CNN interview called the ad “shameful” and predicted it would hurt GOP candidates up and down the ballot in Ohio.

“This ad is going to go down as the most shameful, disgusting, offensive ad this election season,” Mace said. “The bar is low, and somehow, Vivek Ramaswamy somehow managed to limbo under the lowest bar of decency in this country.”