The Ohio gubernatorial race has taken a bitter personal turn after a controversial political attack ad featured a woman claiming to be Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her daughter a “liar.”
The commercial sparked widespread backlash, prompting Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, to launch a fierce public defense of his sister and direct heavy criticism toward her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy.
Brother defends sister against ‘despicable’ attack
In a statement issued by the campaign, Stearns condemned the move to bring complex childhood trauma into the political arena. He revealed that he and Acton were removed from their mother’s custody during childhood following years of severe abuse.
Stearns strongly criticized Ramaswamy, calling the strategy a “desperate, disgusting attack” that demonstrates a willingness to inflict pain on others for political gain.
Rising tensions ahead of election day
The contentious ad is the latest escalation in a hard-fought battle for Ohio’s governorship. While the ad claims Acton is unfit to serve, her campaign has pushed back forcefully, describing the attack as an exploitation of tragic family history.
With Election Day approaching, the heated dispute highlights how deeply personal national and state political races have become.
