Vance defends Ramaswamy over attack ad featuring rival’s mother

Vice President JD Vance pushed back sharply Wednesday against fellow Republicans who criticized an aggressive campaign commercial released by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, telling members of his party to stop complaining and focus on winning.

Speaking to reporters in Cincinnati just 13 days before Election Day, Vance dismissed concerns regarding the political ad, which targets Democratic nominee Amy Acton by featuring her estranged mother. Vance argued that the party should remain focused on defeating Democrats rather than policing campaign tactics, NBC News reported.

“Politics is a tough business, and my message to my fellow elected Republicans is if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days,” Vance said.

GOP divided over commercial

Ramaswamy’s campaign has prepared a $4 million statewide television push centered on the spot, according to NBC News. In the commercial, Acton’s estranged mother labels her daughter a “liar” and tells Ohio residents not to support her candidacy.

The advertisement sparked immediate backlash across the political spectrum because of Acton’s childhood history. Acton previously revealed that she suffered sexual abuse by her stepfather when she was 12 years old. In 1978, state authorities removed Acton and her brother from their mother’s custody following the stepfather’s arrest. Acton stated in a 2019 interview that she had not seen her mother since a 1978 court proceeding, and her brother, Philip Stearns, said their mother remained married to the abuser until his death.

Several prominent Republicans swiftly distanced themselves from the spot. Sen. Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican appointed to fill Vance’s vacated Senate seat, said he “would not have run that ad.” Conservative commentator Meghan McCain described the spot on social media as “dastardly,” while former presidential candidate Nikki Haley called Ramaswamy “a bad guy,” the BBC reported. A staff member for Utah Sen. Mike Lee also deleted a repost of the commercial and apologized after reviewing the underlying allegations.

Vance rallies behind Ramaswamy

Asked by reporters whether the commercial crossed a line, Vance said the question was not his concern. Instead, the vice president expressed frustration with colleagues voicing objections to Ramaswamy’s strategy.

“I have to admit that I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America,” Vance said.

Later Wednesday, Vance appeared alongside Ramaswamy at an Ohio campaign rally, where he again addressed the dispute before a crowd of supporters. Vance told attendees that Ramaswamy showed “the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar,” urging voters to concentrate on policy and facts.

Ramaswamy’s campaign defended the message, with a spokesperson labeling Acton a “serial fabulist.” Stearns, Acton’s brother, strongly denounced the spot, accusing Ramaswamy of weaponizing childhood trauma for political gain.

Tight contest in the Buckeye State

The controversy arrives as the battle for Ohio’s governorship grows increasingly competitive. The Cook Political Report recently adjusted its rating for the contest from “leans Republican” to “toss up.” Ohio voters have not chosen a Democratic governor in more than 20 years.

David Lublin, a professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs, told the BBC that while negative commercials frequently target opponents, involving estranged relatives over sexual abuse allegations stretches standard campaign boundaries. Lublin suggested the provocative tactic may reflect urgency inside Ramaswamy’s camp to alter the race’s trajectory.

With voting concluding in less than two weeks, it remains unclear whether the high-dollar advertising blitz will rally Republican turnout or produce a backlash among swing voters across Ohio.