Ohio Governor Race Focus Shifts to Amy Acton's Record Amid Viral Ad Controversy

A recent campaign advertisement from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, which features the estranged mother of his opponent Amy Acton, has ignited controversy and widespread social media discussion. However, a political strategist suggests the focus should be on Acton's record rather than the personal nature of the ad.

Democrats and some Republicans have criticized the ad, with Ramaswamy defending his decision to run it. Acton responded to the ad by stating that she and her brother were removed from their mother's custody due to accusations of sexual abuse by her stepfather.

Ohio attorney and political strategist Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital that Acton's professional history is the more critical factor in the gubernatorial race. "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 stated.

Acton's tenure as health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a focal point for criticism. During her leadership, Ohio implemented school closures, shut down bars and restaurants, restricted businesses, and issued a statewide stay-at-home order. She also signed directives that limited nursing home visitors, closed senior centers and adult daycare facilities, restricted mass gatherings, and temporarily closed gyms and personal-service businesses. Acton departed from the position amidst pushback over the economic impact of these measures.

"She worked as a health director for Mike DeWine and left after masking our children, shutting down our state, and yes, Mike DeWine's name is on those orders, but at the end of the day, it was Amy Acton's signature," Cooke said. "And she's the one who pushed for locking down our kids. I don't ever want to hire somebody who quits on the state during a pandemic."

The handling of nursing homes during the pandemic has also drawn scrutiny. Ohio enforced a broad visitor ban at nursing homes and similar facilities in March 2020. The Ohio Department of Health faced a lawsuit over its refusal to release facility-level COVID-19 death data, with an appeals court eventually ruling that the department had violated public records law. While the ruling did not establish Acton personally ordered the withholding of records, critics argue it raises transparency questions during her leadership.

Gyms in Ohio also initiated litigation over closure orders. In the case of Rock House Fitness, a court characterized the state's actions as "arbitrary, unreasonable, and oppressive," although subsequent legal developments complicated the dispute.

Allegations from former state-government workers suggest Acton was sometimes absent from pandemic strategy meetings and exhibited emotional volatility. One source claimed she was found on the floor before an emergency meeting, while another reported seeing her cry in a bathroom.

A 2019 police report detailing a domestic dispute at Acton's home has also become a campaign issue. Reports based on the police document indicated Acton's daughter told police that Acton was drinking, throwing objects, and breaking glass, and that Acton pulled a mirror from a wall, shattering it. No one was injured and no charges were filed. Acton's campaign has described the incident as a typical marital disagreement and denied claims of alcohol abuse, calling broader accusations of addiction "lies."

Cooke also highlighted Acton's past comments, which appeared to compare ICE agents to the Ku Klux Klan and were linked to the "defund the police" movement. He asserted that supporting law enforcement is a crucial trait for the next governor and that Acton has demonstrated weakness in this area.

Acton's campaign has also engaged in personal attacks, running ads that reference Ramaswamy's mother and the failure of an Alzheimer's drug. Cooke characterized the race as "brutal" and a "contact sport," noting that Ramaswamy addresses questions directly while Acton "continues to hide."

Acton has not yet agreed to a debate with Ramaswamy, a decision Cooke attributes to her inability to articulate complex issues and a strategy of "hiding in the basement" reminiscent of a "Joe Biden strategy."

Recent polling conducted before the fallout from Ramaswamy's ad indicated a close race, with likely voters favoring Acton by a slim margin. However, public discourse, as reflected in conversations like one recounted by Cooke with an independent doctor, suggests voter concern may center on Acton's platform and integrity rather than the specifics of the controversial ad.