The Lincoln Project has released a new ad titled “Sick” that directly targets Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over his campaign’s decision to feature Amy Acton’s estranged mother in an attack ad that brought Acton’s childhood ab*se trauma into the political spotlight. The response ad arrives after Ramaswamy’s spot drew bipartisan criticism and new polling showed it may have damaged his standing in the race.
Ramaswamy’s Ad Used Acton’s Estranged Mother to Attack Her
The controversy began in October 2026 when a one-minute video surfaced online featuring Donna Arthur, the estranged biological mother of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dr. Amy Acton. In the video, Arthur calls her daughter a “liar” and says Acton “needs help”. The ad did not mention that Arthur’s husband, Acton’s stepfather, was charged with r*ping Acton when she was 12 years old, and that Acton and her brother were removed from Arthur’s custody after the charges were filed.
Ramaswamy’s campaign initially did not confirm involvement in the ad. By the evening of October 20, 2026, Ramaswamy told reporters, “It is an ad from our campaign,” and his team confirmed it would spend $4 million to air the spot across Ohio in the final weeks before the election. The ad was first circulated online by an Ohio political blogger known as “The Rooster” and was shared widely on social media, including by Donald Trump Jr..
Acton responded to the ad on October 21, 2026, calling it “despicable”. Her brother, Philip Stearns, released a response ad of his own, saying, “She was 11 and 12 years old, and to think that’s somehow a talking point—shame on Vivek”.
Lincoln Project’s “Sick” Ad: “VIVEK IS SICK”
The Lincoln Project, a political action committee founded by former Republicans opposed to Donald Trump, released its response ad, “Sick”, on October 29, 2026. The group shared the ad on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “VIVEK IS SICK”. The Lincoln Project wrote in the same post, “Our newest ad, Sick, doesn’t mince words”.
Stuart Stevens, a senior adviser to the Lincoln Project, appeared on The Joy Reid Show to break down the ad alongside host Joy Reid and guest co-host Elie Mystal. The Lincoln Project has over two million followers on X and has produced a long series of attack ads targeting Trump-aligned candidates since its founding in 2019.
The “Sick” ad focuses on Ramaswamy’s decision to use a family member and a survivor of childhood ab*se as a political weapon. The Lincoln Project’s post also included a statement calling Ramaswamy “a desperate, disgusting person willing to do anything to win, and still won’t”.
Bipartisan Backlash and Polling Damage
Ramaswamy’s original ad drew criticism from across the political spectrum. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican who endorsed Ramaswamy, called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and urged its withdrawal. Vice President JD Vance defended the ad, saying he was “disgusted” by Republicans who were “whining” about it, while President Donald Trump said he knew “nothing about it” but described the situation as “very unusual”.
The political fallout was swift. Internal Republican polling reported by Axios found that 86 percent of 800 surveyed voters had already seen the ad. Among those familiar with it, voters said by a two-to-one margin that it made them more likely to back Acton. A Suffolk University poll found that seven people switched from supporting Ramaswamy to Acton after the ad, while just one person moved in the opposite direction.
The Cook Political Report shifted its rating of the Ohio governor’s race from “toss-up” to “Lean Democrat” following the ad’s release. Ramaswamy’s unfavorable rating climbed from 52.2 percent in September to 54.2 percent, while Acton’s remained stable at 41 percent. Republican operatives warned that the damage could extend beyond the governor’s race and affect U.S. Senator Jon Husted’s reelection campaign in a state that may decide Senate control.
The Facts Behind Acton’s Testimony
Court records and reporting from the Associated Press confirm that Acton’s stepfather was arrested in 1978 and charged with rping his twelve-year-old stepdaughter. He was indicted but fled before standing trial and died in 2004 without being convicted. Acton has said she was sexually absed from ages 9 to 12 and has not spoken to her mother since she was 12 years old.
The Lincoln Project’s “Sick” ad centers on the argument that Ramaswamy chose to amplify a woman who stayed married to her daughter’s accused abser and used that platform to call the survivor a liar. Rick Wilson, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, described Ramaswamy’s original ad as “the worst ad in American political history” and said it featured “an accomplice to child abse lying about Ramaswamy’s opponent”.
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The Ohio gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 3, 2026. Early voting and absentee ballot deadlines vary by state and county, with Ohio voters able to check their registration and polling locations through the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.
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