A new poll shows that Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial attack ad, which featured his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother criticizing her, may have shifted voter support away from him just days before the election.
The Suffolk University-USA TODAY poll, conducted from October 21 to 26, found that 72% of respondents had seen or heard about the ad within days of its October 22 release. While the ad convinced only one voter to switch from Acton to Ramaswamy, seven voters reported reconsidering their support for Ramaswamy and moving toward Acton after viewing it. Acton currently leads Ramaswamy 48% to 44%, with Libertarian candidate Don Kissick at 3.6%, according to the survey.
Ramaswamy’s campaign committed $4 million to airing the commercial statewide despite warnings from Republican figures, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and former Governor John Kasich, who urged him to withdraw it.
The Ad’s Content and Context
The 30-second ad features Donna Arthur, Acton’s 82-year-old mother, calling her daughter a “liar” with a “serious problem.” Arthur lost custody of her children after her late husband, Cledith Arthur, was indicted for raping Acton when she was a child. The couple fled the state before he could be prosecuted. Acton has not spoken to her mother since 1978.
Republican and Democratic Reactions
The ad drew bipartisan criticism, with some Ohio Republicans privately describing it as a “self-inflicted wound” that narrowed Acton’s polling deficit. An unnamed Trump-world adviser told Zeteo that the ad positioned Ramaswamy as “siding with the rapist protector mom,” calling it “never a good idea.” Robert McColley, Ohio’s GOP lieutenant governor candidate, also expressed reservations but publicly defended the ad.
The ad was produced by The Strategy Group, a conservative Ohio-based agency that also worked on Kristi Noem’s controversial $220 million campaign. The firm reportedly traveled to rural Pennsylvania to locate Arthur, who had not seen her daughter in decades.
Backlash from Educators and Public Figures
A former teacher of Ramaswamy’s, Michael Pogue, publicly condemned the ad at a campaign event in Cincinnati, holding a sign that read, “Shame on you, Vivek! I taught you better.” Pogue, who taught Ramaswamy in eighth grade, called for a “full retraction and sincere apology” to Acton, stating, “This latest attack on Dr. Acton hits home—I had too many students who were raped.”
Not all of Ramaswamy’s former educators agreed. On the same day, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had been reunited with his first-grade teacher at a campaign stop, with her expressing support for his education policies.
Campaign Strategy and Polling Impact
Political analysts described Ramaswamy’s decision to air the ad as a “Hail Mary strategy”, suggesting it was a last-ditch effort to sway voters in a tight race. The poll’s director, David Paleologos, noted that such tactics carry high risk, comparing it to a pass that could be “intercepted or blocked.”
Acton’s campaign has not publicly responded to the ad’s release, though her team has emphasized her record on public health and education in prior statements.
The race remains statistically too close to call, with the four-point margin falling within the poll’s ±4.4% margin of error. Early voting in Ohio began on October 11, with Election Day scheduled for November 7.
Key Takeaways
- The ad, which cost $4 million, aired despite warnings from Republican leaders.
- Seven voters switched from Ramaswamy to Acton after seeing the ad, while only one moved in the opposite direction.
- The ad’s content—featuring a mother criticizing her estranged daughter over historical abuse allegations—sparked widespread backlash.
- Acton maintains a 4-point lead in the latest poll, though the race remains competitive.