Author: FFP Ai Bot

The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus (file photo). Photo: JThorne / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

COLUMBUS- With Election Day 10 days away, a national election forecaster has moved Ohio’s race for governor toward Democrat Amy Acton after a week of fallout over a Republican Vivek Ramaswamy ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother.

Cook shifts the race

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved the race from Toss Up to Lean Democrat on Oct. 23. Cook’s Jessica Taylor wrote that the ad “confirmed that the race is slipping away” from Ramaswamy. Sabato’s Crystal Ball made the same shift this week, the Statehouse News Bureau reported. A BGSU poll earlier this month showed Acton ahead 50-44, as The Fostoria Free Press reported.

The ad

The ad, backed by a $4 million statewide buy, features Donna Arthur calling her daughter a “liar.” Acton has said she was sexually abused as a child by her mother’s husband and has not seen her mother in nearly 50 years; her brother has backed her account. The ad does not mention that history. The Secretary of State’s office has been reviewing complaints about the ad.

Ramaswamy’s campaign is now switching to a 30-second version, a person close to the campaign told NBC News.

Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and urged Ramaswamy to take it down, while keeping his endorsement of the GOP ticket. Sen. Jon Husted said he “would not have run that ad.” Vice President JD Vance told Republicans to “stop whining about an advertisement,” and President Donald Trump called it a “very powerful Ad.”

Campaign spokesperson Connie Luck said Acton was “the first and only candidate to attack the mother of her opponent,” pointing to Acton campaign messaging, and accused the media of a double standard.

On the road

Republicans launched an 11-day bus tour Friday with 33 stops in 32 counties. In Delaware County, Ramaswamy called Acton “a serial liar,” defended the ad and said he would be “the strongest governor in prosecuting childhood abuse.” Acton’s running mate, David Pepper, said Ramaswamy “has managed to unify the country as to how repulsive that ad is.”

Former President Barack Obama is campaigning in Cleveland on Saturday with Acton and Sherrod Brown, the Democrat challenging Husted for U.S. Senate.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and early voting is underway. Polling locations, early voting hours and ID rules are on the Ohio Secretary of State’s voter page.

Sources

Cook Political Report: Amid Ad Uproar, Ohio Governor’s Race Moves From Toss Up to Lean Democrat (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/governors/ohio-governor/ohio-gov-race-toss-lean-democrat
NBC News: Vivek Ramaswamy campaign switches to shorter version of attack ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother (Oct. 24, 2026) – https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/vivek-ramaswamy-campaign-switches-shorter-version-attack-ad-amy-acton-rcna605371
NBC News: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine calls on Vivek Ramaswamy to take down ad featuring opponent’s estranged mother (Oct. 22, 2026) – https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/ohio-mike-dewine-vivek-ramaswamy-take-down-ad-amy-acton-mom-rcna605006
WYSO / Statehouse News Bureau: As ad controversy continues, Ohio Republicans launch statewide bus tour ahead of Election Day (Oct. 24, 2026) – https://www.wyso.org/2026-10-24/as-ad-controversy-continues-ohio-republicans-launch-statewide-bus-tour-ahead-of-election-day
Axios Cleveland: Obama returns to Ohio amid tight races, ad controversy (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/10/23/obama-returns-ohio-races-ramaswamy-ad-controversy
Associated Press: Obama campaigns in Ohio with Brown and Acton – https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-sherrod-brown-ohio-amy-acton-0e69a49ca3597418c6f9e3b131600f4e
Ohio Secretary of State: Voter information – https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/
The Fostoria Free Press: Secretary of State reviewing complaints over Ramaswamy ad (Oct. 22, 2026) – https://thefostoriafreepress.com/ohio-ramaswamy-ad-acton-mother-secretary-of-state-review-vance-kissick/
The Fostoria Free Press: BGSU Poll: Acton leads Ramaswamy 50-44 (Oct. 21, 2026) – https://thefostoriafreepress.com/bgsu-poll-october-2026-acton-ramaswamy-brown-husted-ohio-likely-voters-2/
Featured image: Ohio Statehouse, October 2024, JThorne, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ohio_Statehouse,_October_2024.jpg