Ohio Democrat’s Own Mother Calls Her a ‘Liar’ and Urges Voters Not to Elect Her

Ohio’s heated race for governor has taken an extraordinary turn after the mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton appeared in a viral video accusing her daughter of dishonesty and urging voters to keep her out of office.

Donna Arthur, Acton’s estranged mother, delivered the startling message as the former Ohio health director battles Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the November 3 election.

“I love my daughter. But when I saw her lying about her opponent — it’s not easy for a mother to say this — but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar,” Arthur declared in the video.

Arthur went on to challenge her daughter’s account of a difficult childhood, specifically disputing Acton’s longstanding claim that her family experienced homelessness and once lived in a tent.

“She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She’s lied her entire life,” Arthur alleged.

The video ends with a direct warning to Ohio voters.

“Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor,” Arthur said. “If you think she’ll make your life better, you’re fooling yourself. It will only get worse.”

The unusual family criticism quickly attracted attention as Ohio approaches one of its most closely watched statewide elections.

Acton, a physician who became a prominent public figure while directing Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is seeking to defeat Ramaswamy, the businessman and former Republican presidential candidate.

Her campaign strongly rejected Arthur’s accusations, describing her as an estranged and abusive parent.

Acton addressed the controversy Tuesday during an interview with Ohio public radio station WOSU, insisting that her mother was the one making false statements.

She said the two have not seen each other since Acton was 12 years old and accused Ramaswamy and his political allies of exploiting a painful family history.

Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, also issued a statement defending his sister and accusing their Republican opponent of turning childhood trauma into a political weapon.

Stearns said Acton experienced sexual abuse by their mother’s husband when she was a child and that both siblings were eventually removed from their mother’s custody.

Court records reviewed by Ohio journalists confirm that Acton’s former stepfather faced criminal charges involving allegations of sexual abuse. Acton also discussed her difficult upbringing publicly in 2019, years before launching her gubernatorial campaign.

Those records provide important context for the family dispute, although they do not independently establish every detail of Acton’s account of homelessness.

Meanwhile, Ramaswamy’s campaign did not back away from its broader criticism of the Democratic candidate.

Campaign spokesperson Connie Luck accused Acton of having serious problems with the truth and argued that Ohio voters deserve answers about her record, her criticism of Ramaswamy, and her reluctance to participate in debates.

The campaign also pointed to the financial pressures facing Ohio families, arguing that rising living costs should remain a central issue in the election.

However, the campaign did not directly answer questions about whether it produced or financed the video featuring Arthur.

The recording has circulated widely on social media, but its original sponsor has not been publicly established. The video also lacks a sponsorship disclaimer identifying who paid for it.

With Election Day approaching, the controversy adds another personal dimension to a race already marked by sharp disagreements over pandemic policies, government spending, education, and Ohio’s economic future.

For voters, the competing accusations present a significant distinction between what family members claim and what the available evidence establishes.

Whether the explosive family dispute influences the final outcome remains uncertain, but it has brought another unexpected controversy into Ohio’s closely contested race for governor.