Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, faced criticism from his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, for attending the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York.
Acton shared video and photos on social media depicting Ramaswamy seated several rows from the court during the event's third round. Her campaign stated that Ramaswamy was "jetting off in his private plane to watch the US Open in VIP seating with his billionaire friends," suggesting he was neglecting to spend the Labor Day weekend in Ohio.
Ramaswamy, who was a nationally ranked junior tennis player, attended the Grand Slam tournament, watching Tommy Paul defeat Alexander Bublik. He later posted a video from inside a vehicle, questioning Acton's commitment to Ohioans, particularly her refusal to debate him.
Acton's campaign manager told The Columbus Dispatch that her refusal to debate was due to Ramaswamy's "lies" and "disgusting" attack ads funded by his associates. Ramaswamy reportedly stated at a Republican Jewish Coalition event in Las Vegas that his trip was a "rare exception" to leaving the state during the campaign, according to a recent press release from the Ohio Democratic Party.
Progressive political blog The Rooster reported that Ramaswamy has traveled outside of Ohio numerous times this year, with his private jets reportedly visiting Europe, the Caribbean, and several U.S. states between January and mid-July.