A woman who says she raised Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton is urging voters to turn her daughter down in November.
Her one-minute video hit social media on Tuesday and has been spreading ever since.
The clip begins with a self-introduction. “My name is Donna Arthur, and I’m Amy Acton’s mother,” the woman says.
Arthur describes a background in child and family services.
She also tells viewers she loves her daughter, but says she disagrees with how Acton has portrayed her childhood.
“She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true,” Arthur declares.
From there, Arthur accuses Acton of misrepresenting Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy.
She then speaks directly to Ohioans and closes the video with a single request: “Don’t let her become your governor.”
Walter Curt, a journalist and podcast host, posted the footage online. His post pulled in more than 350,000 views, according to Newsweek.
Several users who reacted to the apparent campaign advertisement called it “brutal.” Many of them pointed to the messenger, a person who identifies herself as the candidate’s mother.
Nothing in the video has been confirmed. Investigators of the claims have not verified Arthur’s allegations, and no one has established who financed or produced the recording.
Other gaps remain.
Reporting has not shown whether Arthur has independently confirmed her identity. It also has not identified which of Acton’s statements led Arthur to speak out.
Newsweek contacted both campaigns for comment Tuesday morning.
Earlier news coverage already covers parts of Acton’s upbringing. WKBN27 reported that her parents divorced when she was 3 years old.
After the divorce, the station reported, Acton bounced between approximately 18 homes before her 12th birthday.
WKBN27 also reported that Acton spent a single winter in a tent at a campground.
She later moved in with her father, according to the station. Exactly what happened during that stretch remains unclear.
The two nominees are competing to succeed Gov. Mike DeWine, who cannot seek another term because of term limits. Voters go to the polls Nov. 3.
Recent surveys point in different directions. ActiVote polled Ohioans from Sept. 27 to Oct. 19 and recorded 51.4% for Ramaswamy and 48.6% for Acton.
That 2.8-point gap sits inside the poll’s reported expected error of 4.9 percentage points.
A co/efficient survey taken Oct. 5-6 also put Ramaswamy on top, 45% to 43%. Libertarian candidate Don Kissick registered 3%.
Two other pollsters found Acton ahead. Marist University surveyed voters Oct. 15-18 and recorded her lead at 50% to 43%.
A Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll showed her leading 50% to 44%.
No one can say yet whether the video will shift any votes.
The footage keeps circulating online as both campaigns work through the final stretch before Election Day.
