Vivek Ramaswamy’s move to use his opponent’s estranged mother in an attack ad has cost him potential votes in Ohio’s gubernatorial election, according to a new poll.
Ramaswamy has drawn widespread criticism for featuring Donna Arthur, the mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, in an ad in which she claims her daughter is a liar.
Acton and Arthur have not spoken since the late 1970s after the candidate’s stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was accused of sexually abusing her while she was a minor. Her mother stood by her husband.
A poll by the Suffolk University Political Research Center found the commercial did little to change Ramaswamy’s prospects and that it in fact appears to have damaged his standing with voters.
Seven people said they switched from supporting Ramaswamy to Acton, while just one person said it persuaded them to do the opposite, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The Cook Political Report has similarly updated its rating of the Ohio race from “toss-up” to “Lean Democrat.”
Ramaswamy is now trailing by 48 percent to 44 percent, with his unfavorable rating climbing from 52.2 percent in September to 54.2 percent, the outlet adds. Acton’s remains virtually unchanged at 41 percent.
The MAGA candidate committed more than $4 million to the advertisement featuring Donna Arthur, who accused her daughter of dishonesty and warned Ohioans against electing her.
Cledith Arthur was charged with raping Acton when she was just 12 years old but fled Ohio before standing trial. Officials subsequently took Donna Arthur’s two children away from her.
The ad provoked fury across party lines, with Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and his predecessor John Kasich urging Ramaswamy to withdraw it.
President Donald Trump has defended his candidate in the race and encouraged him to keep broadcasting the attack.
The Daily Beast has contacted Ramaswamy and Acton’s campaigns for comment on this story.
