‘Despicable low’: Estranged mother appears in attack ad against politician daughter
An attack ad featuring a US political candidate’s mother has been described as a “despicable low” ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
Donna Arthur featured in the minute-long ad imploring people in Ohio not to vote for her daughter Amy Acton.
Amy Acton is the Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Acton is the Democratic candidate for governor in the state.
“I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent — and it’s not easy for a mother to say this — but Amy has a serious problem,” Arthur said in the ad.
"She is a liar. She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She’s lied her entire life.
"Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor."
The use of Acton's mother in the ad has been widely condemned, especially given Arthur's past.
Arthur lost custody of Acton when she was 12 over claims of severe abuse, neglect and sexual abuse.
Acton's stepfather was charged with raping her when she was aged between 9 and 12.
He was indicted by a grand jury but fled the state before trial with an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He died in 2004.
Arthur stayed by her husband's side for the rest of his life, and she has not spoken to Acton since 1978.
The ad has not aired on television yet and was circulated by a conservative blogger.
But Acton has accused her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy as being behind the ad.
Acton's campaign has responded with an ad featuring her brother Phil Stearns speaking in her defence.
Amy Acton is neck-and-neck in the polls to be the next governor of Ohio. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
"I received a lot of abuse, but Amy always got the worst of it," Stearns said.
"She continued to receive that abuse, because she knew she had to protect me from that, and that if she hadn’t done that, who knows where I would have ended up?
"Shame on Vivek.
"He’s not fit to lead."
Ramaswamy's campaign did not take responsibility for the ad but is yet to deny it. In a statement they attacked Acton's honesty.
"We don't know what happened between Amy and her mother, who spoke out about Amy in 2020, but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor," a campaign spokesperson said.
"Everyone who knows her best ― her former boss, her former state colleagues, her fellow physicians, and now her own mother ― are clearly warning Ohioans not to vote for her."
In a heated election cycle, the battle between Acton and Ramaswamy has been especially nasty.
Acton was the director of the Ohio Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and became a well-known figure in Ohio as a result.
Vivek Ramaswamy is an investment banker and former CEO of a pharmaceutical company.
Vivek Ramaswamy ran for president in 2024 against Donald Trump before becoming a vocal supporter. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
Acton has been hammering Ramaswamy on accusations he "pushed an Alzheimer’s drug that he knew didn’t work".
"He made hundreds of millions of dollars scamming people," an attack ad from the Acton campaign said.
Ramaswamy has denied the accusations, which centre around a drug called intepirdine.
Ramaswamy's company acquired the drug, but a clinical trial of dementia patients revealed it didn't work.
Ramaswamy's campaign has made hay of a 2019 police report following a domestic dispute at Acton's home.
The Republicans said the report showed Acton had a drinking problem. Her campaign said she had a single glass of wine that night.
While Ohio has shifted from being a swing state to a solidly conservative state in the past decade, the polling has shown the election between Acton and Ramaswamy is neck-and-neck.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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