With less than two weeks until Ohio's gubernatorial election, a controversial advertisement by Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has ignited a fierce intra-party battle, placing President Trump and Vice President Vance squarely against the state's GOP establishment. The ad features the mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton, making insinuations about Acton's mental health, and has drawn widespread condemnation from prominent Ohio Republicans, including Governor Mike DeWine and Senator Jon Husted.
Acton's brother has since clarified that he and his sister have been estranged from their mother since Acton was 12, because their mother remained with the man who sexually abused Acton as a child. That revelation has intensified criticism of the ad, which many see as crossing a fundamental line in political discourse.
Despite the backlash, Trump and Vance have offered unqualified support for Ramaswamy. In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump dismissed DeWine as a "RINO" and urged Ramaswamy to "keep it up." Earlier, Vance expressed disgust at Republicans "whining" about the advertisement while Democrats face no similar scrutiny.
The sharp divide highlights a broader tension within the Ohio GOP, as noted by one Republican strategist who said, "The Republicans who are being critical are largely anti-Trump Republicans or very establishment Republicans." The strategist added that Trump's instinct to punch back rather than back down is emblematic of his political style, noting, "This is Trump's attitude. Good, bad or indifferent. I don't think I've ever heard him say the word I'm sorry."
Governor DeWine called the ad "deeply, deeply troubling" and demanded its removal, while Husted said he "would not have run" the spot. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose told ABC 6 that his office is reviewing complaints about the ad, adding, "I probably wouldn't run an ad like that, but every candidate gets to make their own decision."
Other leading Republican voices have also weighed in. Former Governor John Kasich said on MSNBC that "there is nothing appropriate about the ad," emphasizing that "any claim of sexual abuse or anything that could lead to the discussion about that has no place in American politics." Former Senator Rob Portman, whom Vance succeeded, told Politico the ad "crosses the line" and should be withdrawn.
Strategist Chris Johnson contrasted the aggressive approach with the Midwest sensibilities of establishment figures like DeWine and Husted, who "want to go out there and fight for their deeply held conservative values, but they do it in such a way that is very midwestern." He added, "They'd much rather be talking about the issues or talking about who the Buckeyes play that weekend."
The controversy puts Husted, who is running for Senate, in a precarious position. He faces a tough challenge from former Senator Sherrod Brown, with recent Cook Political Report polling showing Brown leading 49 to 43 percent. Husted, who was appointed to the Senate by DeWine, has not previously won a statewide Senate race.
Meanwhile, the gubernatorial race shows Ramaswamy trailing Acton by significant margins. A Marist University poll released Tuesday gave Acton a seven-point lead, while Cook Political Report polling showed her ahead by five points. Johnson expressed skepticism that the ad would sway undecided voters, warning, "I worry that once people start looking into this story that it might backfire a little bit."
Ohio GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou attempted to stay neutral, posting on X that he supports leaders who help turn out voters. The Republican National Committee, however, has sided with Trump and Vance. RNC spokesman Hunter Lovell stated, "As President Trump and Vice President Vance have stated, this manufactured outrage is a distraction from what this election is actually about: Amy Acton is too liberal for Ohio, and her far-left agenda would take the state backward."
The ad has also sparked a fundraising surge for Acton, as reported by Acton raises big after backlash, and has drawn national attention to the Ohio races. With the GOP split, the coming days will test whether the party's base rallies behind Ramaswamy or whether moderate voters recoil from the attack.
