By SNN Newsroom | October 22, 2026

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who has endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for governor, called on the Republican nominee to remove a campaign advertisement featuring the estranged mother of Democratic nominee Amy Acton, according to reporting Thursday by The Associated Press.

The intervention puts DeWine at odds with the candidate he supports in one of the nation’s closely watched gubernatorial elections on November 3. DeWine described the advertisement as “deeply troubling,” according to AP. The advertisement centers on claims by Acton’s estranged mother challenging Acton’s account of a traumatic childhood.

What the campaigns say

Ramaswamy’s campaign acknowledged producing the approximately one-minute advertisement and announced plans to spend $4 million distributing it. The campaign has argued that Acton’s credibility is a legitimate issue for voters to evaluate. Acton has criticized the ad as exploiting her family’s history; her brother has publicly disputed its implications and defended her account. The Associated Press reported reviewing contemporaneous police and court records documenting criminal charges connected to the family’s history. Those charges should not be confused with a conviction.

Vice President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy in remarks reported by Reuters on October 21, while other Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing the ad. The disagreement is over the use of personal family history in campaigning, not a change in DeWine’s endorsement.

Why it matters

Ohio voters will choose the next governor on November 3. A candidate’s advertising claims are political advocacy, not independent findings of fact. Voters should distinguish the campaigns’ competing statements from evidence reviewed by news organizations. Neither candidate’s policy proposals are resolved by this dispute.

Voters may find official polling-place, early-voting and absentee-ballot information from the Ohio Secretary of State. The state’s published calendar says early in-person voting runs through November 1 and Election Day polls are open November 3 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Sources: Associated Press, October 22; Reuters, October 21; Ohio Secretary of State, 2026 voting calendar.