For the first time in 20 years, Ohio has elected a Democrat as governor. Former state health director Dr Amy Acton defeated Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy in the November 3 election. During the campaign, Ramaswamy’s team released a political advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who called her daughter a ‘liar’. The advertisement drew criticism because it brought Acton’s childhood experiences into the election campaign. But what is the story behind the controversy?
The story behind
Content note: References to childhood abuse.
In 1978, when Acton was 12, a grand jury indicted her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, on a charge of raping her. He pleaded not guilty but fled before the case could go to trial.
Acton and her younger brother, Philip Stearns, were subsequently removed from their mother’s custody. According to her brother, both children experienced abuse, with Amy bearing the brunt of it. In a statement released during the campaign, he said she endured the abuse partly to protect him. He also criticised Ramaswamy for bringing their estranged mother into the election campaign.
Acton has said that her mother sided with her husband when she sought protection and accused her of lying. She has not had contact with her mother since she was removed from her custody.
Cledith Arthur was also accused of abusing his biological daughter. However, Reporter World could not independently verify the details of these allegations.
The 1978 indictment and contemporary news reports corroborate key elements of Acton’s account. Cledith Arthur fled before standing trial and died in 2004. Acton’s mother remained married to him until his death.
In Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign advertisement, Donna Arthur called her daughter a ‘liar’ and accused her of fabricating her childhood experiences. Ramaswamy defended the advertisement, arguing that voters should consider the criticism coming from someone who knew Acton personally.
During the campaign, he had also criticised Acton for speaking about her childhood experiences, saying she ‘complains about what someone else did to her’.
Acton went on to become a physician and later served as director of the Ohio Department of Health. She became a prominent public health official during the COVID-19 pandemic before entering the gubernatorial race.
Despite the big campaign spending against her, Acton defeated Ramaswamy, becoming the first Democrat-elected governor of Ohio in 20 years and the first woman to hold the office.
