Vance Defends Ramaswamy Ad Featuring Acton’s Mother

Vice President JD Vance defended Vivek Ramaswamy’s Ohio gubernatorial campaign advertisement featuring Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother, urging Republicans to stop criticizing the spot and focus on winning the election. Ramaswamy’s campaign acknowledged producing the ad and said it planned to spend $4 million promoting it. Speaking to reporters in Ohio on Wednesday, Vance said whether the advertisement was appropriate was not his concern. He said he was “a little bit disgusted” that Republicans were expressing more concern about the ad than about Democratic policies, and told elected Republicans to stop complaining and win the race. At a rally later that day, he defended the campaign’s position, saying the spot called Acton a liar. The advertisement features Donna Arthur speaking about her daughter’s character and childhood. Arthur says Acton lied about her past, including her account of living in a tent, and urges voters not to elect her governor. The ad does not detail the reason for the estrangement between mother and daughter. Acton has said she experienced housing instability and sexual abuse by her stepfather when she was a child. Her campaign released a...