Can Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial Amy Acton ad cost him the Ohio governor’s race?

WASHINGTON, DC: The Ohio governor’s race has shifted toward Democrat Amy Acton after Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign released a controversial advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who accused her daughter of lying and urged voters not to support her.

The ad has drawn criticism amid renewed attention to Acton’s account of childhood abuse and the circumstances under which she was removed from her mother’s custody at the age of 12.

A report by the Cook Political Report moved the race from “Toss-Up” to “Lean Democrat,” citing the controversy amid signs that Acton was already gaining ground.

Cook Political Report shifts Ohio governor race toward Amy Acton

The report’s decision marks a significant change in its assessment of the closely watched contest, with the nonpartisan forecaster now favoring Acton over Ramaswamy.

Jessica Taylor, Cook’s Senate and governor’s editor, said the Republican candidate’s declining position had been evident even before the advertisement became a national controversy.

“It’s an inescapable law of politics: Money can only propel a campaign so far when its candidate’s flaws act as an anchor,” the organization wrote.

Taylor also noted that the ad had intensified concerns about Ramaswamy’s campaign strategy.

“We haven’t talked to a GOP source who thought this was a good idea,” Taylor wrote.

“This is not the kind of TV ad you run if you’re winning, or even if you’re confident you can. Recent polls were trending in Acton’s direction even before the bombshell ad became a national news story.”

The shift was also noted by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, whose Sabato’s Crystal Ball changed its rating from “Toss-Up” to “Leans D” last week.

Cook had also found Acton leading Ramaswamy by five points in a poll conducted before the ad was released.

The fallout could benefit Acton by drawing attention to her account and prompting criticism of her opponent, while putting Ramaswamy on the defensive.

Fundraising for the Democratic candidate has surged since the ad’s release, and her campaign has responded by featuring her brother, Philip Stearns, who has also condemned the use of their family history in the race.

However, the rating change does not mean the outcome is settled.

Two strategists close to Acton’s campaign have cautioned against assuming the contest is no longer competitive, pointing to Ramaswamy’s spending advantage and Ohio’s Republican lean.

The Republican campaign plans to spend $4 million airing the ad, and Republicans have won the state’s governorship for much of the past two decades.

Vivek Ramaswamy defends controversial ad targeting Amy Acton

The advertisement features Arthur criticising her daughter’s account of her childhood, including the claim that she has been dishonest.

Acton has said she and her brother experienced severe abuse and neglect and that her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was charged in connection with physically abusing her when she was 12 years old. He fled the state before trial and died in 2004.

Ramaswamy has defended the advertisement and refused to withdraw it. He has argued that it concerns Acton’s credibility, not the abuse allegations, and has continued to accuse her of dishonesty.

“We ran an ad about lying,” he said. “Amy Acton is lying. She has been lying this entire campaign about me, about her record, about her history in this state.”

President Donald Trump has also argued that the advertisement has “nothing to do” with Acton’s stepfather, while Vance has criticised Republicans who condemned it.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican who has endorsed Ramaswamy, called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and said the campaign “needs to take it down.”

Acton, meanwhile, has urged Trump and Vance to consider the documented history behind her allegations.

In an interview with ABC News, she said, “my job is to work with anyone on any side of the aisle to solve problems instead of making them, and I would say I do hope they would look at the facts.”

Whether the backlash translates into votes remains uncertain.

However, with the race now rated Lean Democrat, the advertisement has become a central issue in a contest in which Ramaswamy’s campaign is trying to regain momentum and Acton’s campaign could potentially turn the controversy into an electoral advantage.