Vivek Ramaswamy Pulls Controversial Amy Acton Ad After His Poll Numbers Take a Hit Despite Trump's Support

Vivek Ramaswamy has stopped airing his controversial Ohio gubernatorial campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic opponent Amy Acton, after polling showed the spot may have damaged his standing with voters.

The Republican candidate launched the ad Oct. 22, featuring Donna Arthur accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood.

Arthur and Acton have not had contact since 1978, when Arthur lost custody of her children after her husband was indicted for raping Acton, who was 12 at the time.

Ramaswamy's campaign initially said it would spend $4 million to air the commercial statewide through Election Day. AdImpact data showed the campaign ultimately spent about $1 million.

At a campaign stop in Vandalia on Thursday, Ramaswamy said the ad had "run to completion" and that his team had "put up four other ads," according to The Columbus Dispatch.

The decision came after the advertisement drew criticism from Republicans and Democrats.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and former Gov. John Kasich called on Ramaswamy to pull the spot, while Republican Senate candidate Jon Husted said he would not have run it.

Ramaswamy initially defended the commercial, arguing that Acton had misrepresented aspects of her past. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance also backed the decision to run it.

Trump previously called the criticism of Ramaswamy and the ad unfair and urged him to keep it on the air. He defended the commercial again during a campaign rally in Chillicothe on Oct. 28.

Acton's campaign, meanwhile, called the ad "despicable" and said Ramaswamy should apologize.

Recent surveys suggest the ad did little to improve Ramaswamy's position and may have hurt him with some voters.

A Suffolk University-USA TODAY poll conducted Oct. 21-26 among 500 likely voters found that 72% had seen or heard about the advertisement. Seven respondents said it caused them to move from Ramaswamy to Acton, while only one said it moved them in the opposite direction.

The poll found Acton leading Ramaswamy 48% to 44%, with Libertarian candidate Don Kissick at 3.6%. Ramaswamy's unfavorable rating also increased to 54.2%, from 52.2% in the previous survey.

A separate Republican-commissioned poll obtained by Axios showed a wider gap.

The Oct. 23-26 survey of 800 likely voters found Acton ahead 50% to 42%, compared with a 47%-45% Acton lead earlier in the month.

Eighty-six percent of respondents said they were aware of the ad, and voters familiar with it were twice as likely to say it made them more likely to support Acton.