Trending 
Democrat Amy Acton won the Ohio governor race on Tuesday, defeating billionaire Republican Vivek Ramaswamy after a deeply contentious campaign dominated by a controversial attack advertisement.
Networks projected victory for the 60-year-old medical doctor and former state health director, marking a major Democratic win in a state President Donald Trump carried by double digits in 2024.
Ramaswamy, who ran in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, failed to secure the governorship despite prominent endorsements from both Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The contest escalated after Ramaswamy’s campaign released an ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who claimed her daughter “lied her entire life” and was unfit to lead.
Acton responded by revealing that she and her brother suffered severe childhood abuse, stating, “Between the ages of 10 and 12, I was sexually abused by her husband, while my birth mother did nothing to protect me.”
Acton condemned the commercial as a painful exploitation, noting, “It is sad to see Vivek Ramaswamy exploit her all for his own political gain.”
The political fallout from the advertisement drew widespread condemnation from Democrats and several notable Republicans, including outgoing Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
While Trump accused media outlets of orchestrating a campaign to sabotage Ramaswamy, voters ultimately rejected the Republican nominee in favour of Acton, whose leadership background in Ohio’s early COVID-19 pandemic response helped anchor her campaign.
