Ramaswamy and Trump gamble on an incendiary ad, as Ohio shows signs it might turn purple again

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is closing his Ohio governor campaign with a risky ad that puts the estranged mother of Democratic opponent Amy Acton on screen, branding her daughter a liar. CNN reports the strategy echoes President Donald Trump's combative style, which could cost Republicans moderate and independent support in a state Trump carried by 11 percentage points in 2024, at a time when polls show voters drifting from the president.

Acton has said she has not seen her mother since age 12, when custody was lost, and that a grand jury later charged her stepfather with sexual abuse. Asked about those facts, Trump and Ramaswamy both pointed back to the mother's accusations. Trump urged that the ad keep running. Ramaswamy insisted it had nothing to do with childhood abuse, and said voters should judge for themselves. Gov. Mike DeWine, the outgoing Republican, called it deeply troubling.

Voters interviewed by CNN were split. Staunch Trump supporters, still angry over Acton's Covid-19 role as state health director, remain loyal. Independents such as Kari Freudenberger said the ad lowered their willingness to back him, and a Republican nurse, Cherise Wilson, described herself as torn.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN →