Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton is facing a deeply personal controversy after a video surfaced featuring her estranged mother accusing her of repeatedly lying and urging voters not to elect her governor.
The video began circulating Monday, October 19, just two weeks before Acton faces Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s gubernatorial election.
The woman appearing in the recording identifies herself as Donna Arthur, Acton’s mother, and delivers a series of accusations concerning her daughter’s honesty and descriptions of her childhood.
“My name is Donna Arthur and I’m Amy Acton’s mother,” she begins, describing her previous work developing programs for victims of sexual abuse.
Arthur then turns directly to her daughter’s political campaign.
“I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent — and it’s not easy for a mother to say this — but Amy has a serious problem,” Arthur declares. “She is a liar.”
Arthur specifically challenges Acton’s accounts of experiencing homelessness during childhood, including the candidate’s previous statements about living in a tent.
“She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true,” Arthur claims.
The video concludes with Arthur urging Ohio voters to reject her daughter in the November 3 election.
The extraordinary family dispute quickly attracted attention as the recording spread across social media, including among prominent Republican commentators.
However, the video does not identify who produced or paid for it, and its complete production history has not been independently established.
The accusations have also prompted a forceful response from Acton’s campaign and her brother, Philip Stearns.
Acton has previously spoken about a traumatic childhood involving homelessness, neglect and sexual abuse while living in her mother’s household.
Stearns challenged Arthur’s accusations, explaining that he and Acton were removed from their mother’s custody when they were children.
He also pointed to allegations against their stepfather, who was arrested in connection with the sexual abuse of Acton when she was 12.
Historical police and court records corroborate that her stepfather faced criminal proceedings involving the alleged abuse.
Stearns criticized the use of their family’s history in the gubernatorial campaign, accusing Ramaswamy of exploiting painful childhood experiences for political purposes.
Acton also responded publicly, emphasizing her estrangement from Arthur and describing the circumstances that led to her removal from her mother’s home.
The Democratic candidate rejected suggestions that she fabricated her childhood experiences.
Ramaswamy’s campaign, meanwhile, continued questioning Acton’s credibility.
Spokesperson Connie Luck criticized the Democrat’s political record and public statements but did not confirm whether Ramaswamy’s campaign had produced or authorized the video.
The dispute has introduced another contentious issue into an already competitive governor’s race.
Acton previously served as director of the Ohio Department of Health, becoming a recognizable public figure during the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is now seeking to succeed Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who is leaving office because of term limits.
Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, is campaigning for the same position.
The election has already featured sharp disagreements over the candidates’ records and policy priorities.
Arthur’s appearance in the circulating video, however, has shifted attention toward Acton’s personal history and a longstanding family estrangement.
While Arthur has publicly accused her daughter of dishonesty, those accusations do not establish that Acton’s accounts of childhood abuse are false.
For now, the recording has generated controversy over political advertising, family allegations and the use of personal trauma during an election campaign.
