Ohio Venues Cancel Ramaswamy Events After Ad Featuring Amy Acton's Mother

Several Ohio venues have cancelled or dropped events for Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy days before the midterms, after his campaign took ownership of an ad against Democrat Amy Acton featuring her mother. Zeteo reported that at least two venues pulled out. One was The Old Dog Ale House & Brewery in Delaware, which canceled a Friday event with the Ohio Republican ticket. The other was Elliot's Wood Fired Kitchen. A Sunday appearance at CrossPointe Church in Westerville vanished from the tour schedule, and a Tuesday party event now lists its location as to be announced.

In the ad, Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, says her daughter misrepresented her childhood and urges Ohioans not to let her become governor. Acton's stepfather, Cledith "Bud" Arthur, was charged with child molestation and reportedly abused Acton, and that case led to the split between mother and daughter. The ad's producer was initially unclear before Ramaswamy's team took credit. Ramaswamy, on a statewide bus tour, defended the ad at a stop at Pizza Cottage & Tipton Tavern in Powell.

On the right, the Daily Signal leads with Ramaswamy's defense at the Powell stop and promises a "key reminder" in its headline. Its excerpt does not mention the cancellations. The Daily Mail leads with tour "chaos," calls the ad "wild," cites Zeteo, notes it asked the campaign for comment, and includes the stepfather's charges. The New Republic on the left also leads with the cancellations but calls the ad cruel. It adds that Acton lost custody of her mother, that the stepfather skipped bail, that Google reviews of venues were flooded with one-star ratings, and that every living Ohio governor rebuked the ad, including Mike DeWine. It also quotes an anonymous Republican speaking to Zeteo. Alternative and independent outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left- and right-leaning outlets had.