Ramaswamy Ends Ohio Ad Campaign After $1 Million Spend

Ohio voters no longer have to watch a controversial television spot featuring Dr. Amy Acton’s estranged mother. Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed on Thursday that the advertisement is off the air.

The campaign originally announced plans to invest $4 million in the commercial. According to data from ad-tracking firm AdImpact, the campaign spent roughly $1 million before the run concluded.

Ramaswamy announced the change during a campaign event in Vandalia, Ohio. The spot featured Donna Arthur, who had not seen her daughter in nearly 50 years, calling Acton a lifelong liar. Arthur lost custody of the children in 1978 after their stepfather was indicted for raping Acton when she was 12.

The commercial drew criticism from politicians in both parties across the country. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance voiced support for airing the ad. The president stated he told Ramaswamy to leave it on the air, adding that the mother was fair game.

Acton’s campaign called the ad despicable and argued it should never have run. They said Ramaswamy should have apologized. Ohio governors and alumni from Ramaswamy’s high school in Cincinnati had also urged him to pull the spot. A later version of the ad trimmed some portions of the original script.

Ramaswamy defended the decision to air the advertisement. The campaign spent about a quarter of its initially stated budget on the spot before ending the run.