Overview
- The Ramaswamy campaign removed the one-minute ad Friday after ten days on the air and said the spot "ran to completion" while other ads remain in rotation.
- The ad used Amy Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, to accuse Acton of lying, a choice that reporters tied to Mahoning County court records showing Acton’s stepfather faced child sexual‑abuse charges decades ago.
- Republican and Democratic leaders criticized the ad publicly, with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine urging it be pulled and protests following Ramaswamy at events across the state.
- Ramaswamy defended the buy before the removal and the campaign reported about $1 million was spent on two versions of the spot, a figure lower than earlier estimates and disputed in coverage.
- Internal Republican polling reported by news outlets showed Acton’s lead widening after the ad aired, a shift that parties view as a possible late campaign factor that could affect turnout and down‑ballot races.