Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee in Ohio's gubernatorial race, was confronted by a heckler at a town hall event on Tuesday regarding a controversial attack ad. The ad features his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, and her estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who calls her daughter a "liar" and states she "needs help." The ad also references Acton's childhood trauma, as Arthur's late husband sexually abused Acton when she was 12 years old.
Ramaswamy was speaking in Westerville when a man shouted at him, referencing Arthur's appearance in the ad. The heckler stated, "rape her as a child! The child was 12 years old!" Ramaswamy continued his remarks while a police officer escorted the man out of the building. "Sir, sir. If you want to be patient and you want to ask a question at the end, you are free to do that," Ramaswamy said to the heckler. "We’ll give a round of applause, and we’ll say a friendly goodbye."
Acton's campaign shared a video clip of the incident on X, with communications staffer Ethan Lynne writing, "Vivek Ramaswamy’s first public appearance today didn’t go well." Ramaswamy's campaign plans to spend approximately $4 million to air the ad, which has drawn bipartisan criticism.
Acton, who is leading Ramaswamy in polls despite being outspent, condemned the ad. Her brother, Phil Stearns, released a campaign response video declaring Ramaswamy "not fit to lead." Even some Republicans have criticized the ad, with former GOP primary opponent Casey Putsch calling it "pretty damn low" and a CNN commentator summarizing it as "unbelievably disgusting."
Ramaswamy campaign manager Jonathan Ewing, however, described the ad as a "campaign-ending moment" for Acton, telling Axios that "the people who know her best keep warning Ohioans about her."