Mike DeWine urges Vivek Ramaswamy to withdraw political advertisement

Republican Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio has called on Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to remove a campaign advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The Washington Examiner and AP News reported that DeWine denounced the advertisement and urged Ramaswamy to pull it. The advertisement features Donna Stearns Arthur criticizing her daughter and asking voters not to support Acton's bid for governor. [1][3][4][8]

According to the Washington Examiner, DeWine is term-limited and cannot run for reelection, but he has endorsed Ramaswamy to succeed him as governor. Forbes reported that the Ramaswamy campaign plans to spend four million dollars to air the attack advertisement, while PBS NewsHour reported that the campaign will spend millions to promote the spot. [1][6][9]

The controversy comes as candidates prepare for the final weeks of the contest. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Ramaswamy is a biotech entrepreneur who previously sought the Republican presidential nomination before entering the race for governor against Democratic nominee Acton. [1][6][13][14][17]

Despite facing bipartisan criticism and calls from DeWine to withdraw the advertisement, Ramaswamy has doubled down on the campaign spot, according to reports from The Washington Post and the Ohio Capital Journal. Acton has responded publicly to the attack advertisement, CNN reported. [2][10][11]