Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad using Amy Acton’s estranged mother has ended its run on TV

Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy at a campaign rally at the Shoemaker Center at Ohio University Chillicothe in Chillicothe, Ohio, on Wednesday. Jon Cherry / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 29, 2026, 6:00 PM EDTBy Henry J. GomezRepublican Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad featuring the estranged mother of Amy Acton, his Democratic opponent for Ohio governor, is leaving the state’s airwaves, the Ramaswamy campaign confirmed Thursday.

The ad, which debuted last week to wide bipartisan condemnation, is rotating out after completing its intended run, according to the campaign. The campaign has other ads running in the final days of the race.

In the now-completed ad campaign, Donna Arthur — the mother whom Acton says she has not seen since her then-stepfather was charged with raping her as a young child nearly 50 years ago — calls her daughter a liar and urges Ohioans not to vote for her. The ad does not address details of the rape case. But critics panned the Ramaswamy campaign’s decision to use Arthur as a character witness and dredge up painful family history.

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The Ramaswamy campaign said last week that the ad would be backed by $4 million in airtime. It began as a minute-long spot but was eventually shortened to a 30-second version. Many, including term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who has endorsed Ramaswamy, had called on him to take down the ad.

FOR SUBSCRIBERSIsrael’s Arab parties emerge from election as kingmakers, and a focus of angerFOR SUBSCRIBERSCruise company had troubled history before abandoning passengers in CambodiaFOR SUBSCRIBERSDark money group seeks to undercut Republican candidates with pro-gun votersFOR SUBSCRIBERSAmy Acton’s mom, who called her a ‘liar’ in Ramaswamy ad, faced years of turmoil, records showFOR SUBSCRIBERSFDA plans to update nutrition rules for infant formulaFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow French student protests over schools escalated into nationwide riotsFOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump says Alaska’s Democratic Senate candidate should be prosecuted over Dan Sullivan ballot disputeFOR SUBSCRIBERSElection betting odds became less accurate as primaries neared, report findsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow Colorado became a battlefield in the legal fight between LGBTQ and religious rightsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow California prison reforms helped free a serial rapist called ‘America’s creepiest heir’FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s final campaign swing is taking on a darker toneFOR SUBSCRIBERSMel Robbins has midterms advice for youFOR SUBSCRIBERSFlorida cop charged with possessing dead man’s house had history of misconductFOR SUBSCRIBERSDHS hack exposes 40,000 employee names and undercover ICE agents, activists sayFOR SUBSCRIBERSRising diesel prices hit school districts hard ahead of the midterm electionsSlide 1 of 1“Vivek Ramaswamy should never have run his despicable ad in the first place, and it’s totally unsurprising that he took it off the air in the most cowardly way possible, without even the hint of an apology to Dr. Acton, her family, or to the people of Ohio,” Acton campaign spokesperson Addie Bullock said in a statement Thursday.

The Columbus Dispatch first reported that the ad was ending its run.

“It ran to completion, and we’ve put up four other ads,” Ramaswamy said at a Thursday campaign stop, according to the newspaper.

Henry J. GomezHenry J. Gomez is a senior national political reporter for NBC News