‘Can’t trust Amy Acton’: Viral ad distracts from what’s really at stake in critical race, GOP strategist says
An ad earlier this week from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sparked outrage from both sides of the aisle, but a political strategist in the state says that the record...
By Fox News · Fox News
An ad earlier this week from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sparked outrage from both sides of the aisle, but a political strategist in the state says that the record of his opponent, former health director Amy Acton, is what ultimately makes the difference in the race. The ad features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood and questioning her fitness to serve as governor. Acton responded by saying she and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody after her stepfather was accused of sexually abusing her, and Ramaswamy was quickly blasted by Democrats and some Republicans over the ad, which he has defended and spent millions to run over the next couple of weeks. The controversy over the ad went viral on social media and was even commented on by President Donald Trump, who strongly defended Ramaswamy. Ohio attorney and political strategist Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital that Acton’s record is what should be under the microscope, not the ad. "I think that we have to really shift from Vivek's recent ad into the most important question for Ohioans is, who do you want governing the state of Ohio? We clearly can't trust Amy Acton, and she has a record of that," Cooke told Fox News Digital. RAMASWAMY TORCHES DEM RIVAL OVER 'OUTRAGEOUS' COVID-19 CLAIM: 'SPEWING LIES' Acton’s record involves controversies both professionally and personally, many of which have been focused on by ads in the state of Ohio. Acton served as health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the first months of COVID-19, when Ohio closed schools, shuttered bars and restaurants, restricted businesses and imposed a statewide stay-at-home order. She also signed orders restricting nursing-home visitors, closing senior centers and adult daycare facilities, limiting mass gatherings and closing gyms and personal-service businesses before leaving the position amid pushback for the negative impact the lockdowns had. 'GENE…