In a new, unaired attack ad against Amy Acton, the Democrat running for governor of Ohio, her estranged mother speaks directly to the camera to accuse her of lying about her past. It was not clear who is responsible for the ad, which has drawn widespread condemnation, including from Acton’s brother.
“Don’t vote for people who lie,” says Donna Arthur — who married a man whom Acton accused of sexually abusing her as a child — in the video. “Don’t let her become your governor.”
The video began circulating online after a version without a “paid for” disclosure was posted Monday by Ohio political blog The Rooster.
On Tuesday, Philip Stearns, Acton’s brother, condemned the video in a statement released by her campaign, accusing Acton’s Republican rival, Vivek Ramaswamy, of a “desperate, disgusting attack.”
“It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point,” Stearns said.
“After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died,” he added. “This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core — a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants.”
When asked if the Ramaswamy campaign had a hand in creating the video, spokesperson Connie Luck did not explicitly deny the campaign’s involvement.
“We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother, who first spoke out about Amy in 2020, but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor,” Luck said, in part, in a statement to MS NOW.
Acton’s campaign spokesperson, Addie Bullock, also attributed the ad to her Republican rival.
“The choice to use, and then stand by, Dr. Acton’s estranged and abusive mother who stayed married to her rapist stepfather until the day he died shows Ohioans exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is,” Bullock said.
The video does not have any reservations, according to AdImpact, which means no money has been put into airing it.
Acton has talked openly about her and her brother’s difficult upbringing. The siblings were homeless for a time growing up, and Acton said they lived in a tent during one winter. She also accused her stepfather of sexual abuse and testified about it to a grand jury, according to Politico.
In 2019, Acton told The Vindicator, a now-shuttered local news outlet, that the last time she saw her mother was after her stepfather’s arrest on criminal charges.
“In the courthouse after they were charged, I went to give her a kiss, and she just turned her cheek away. That was the last time I ever saw her,” Acton said.
Arthur disputed Acton’s allegations against her husband in a 2020 interview with a conservative website, saying she went to court that day to support her husband. She also disputed her daughter’s account of their last interaction.
The National Review, citing court records, reported Tuesday that:
While Donna Arthur was married to Cledith Arthur in 1978 when Acton was 12 years old, Cledith Arthur was charged with having sexual contact with her, documents show. Evidence against him included a sworn statement from Acton’s biological father, and Acton herself was called to testify as a witness. Following his indictment by a grand jury, Cledith Arthur skipped town.
The Review did not report whether the case went to trial or its outcome.
Acton and Ramaswamy are locked in a tight race for governor that has resulted in extremely personal attack ads on both sides. Polls have shown Acton with a narrow lead.
Stearns, too, has talked about his and his sister’s childhood and has credited Acton with saving his life.
“We had all sorts of forms of abuse, neglect, hunger,” he said in a video for her campaign released last week. “I received a lot of abuse, but Amy always got the worst of it. She continued to receive that abuse because she knew she had to protect me from that.”
Hannah Marr contributed reporting.
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Several stars of the former hit television series Friday Night Lights have backed James Talarico for Senator in Texas as the midterms loom.
The post Video: ‘Friday Night Lights’ Stars Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton Back James Talarico for Texas Senator appeared first on Breitbart.
During an interview with ABC News released on Monday, Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed responded to a question on why he believes it’s so ridiculous to ask him if he believes Iran is a bigger threat than Israel
The post El-Sayed: Israel and Iran Like if Your Friend Poked a Bear, ‘Both’ Caused Danger, Israel ‘Not Actually Our Friend’ appeared first on Breitbart.
The E15 policy is probably unfamiliar to many Americans, but in parts of the Midwest, especially Kansas, it’s a very big deal. Its importance is what made Donald Trump’s latest rhetoric so extraordinary.
To oversimplify matters a bit, the E15 policy refers to a biofuel blend made with 15% ethanol, which is sold to consumers as part of an effort to reduce prices at the pump. Under existing federal laws, E15 sales are limited to the summer driving season, though Kansans, especially in rural areas, would much prefer year-round E15 sales.
With this in mind, ahead of the president’s campaign rally in Kansas on Monday night, the White House boasted in a press statement, “President Trump approved year-round E15 sales, expanding markets for Kansas corn growers and giving drivers more affordable options at the pump.”
Hours later, Trump delivered remarks at his campaign event, which touched on the E15 policy — in an unexpected way.
Trump: "With Roger Marshall in the Senate, we will make year-round E15 permanent. But if Adam Hamilton is in, I'm not going it. That's it. I'm only doing it for him. That's a big deal for Kansas."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-10-20T01:17:16.134Z
“I also gave Kansas a waiver to sell E15 all year round, and with [incumbent Republican Sen.] Roger Marshall in the Senate, we will make year-round E15 permanent,” the president said. “But if [the Rep. Adam Hamilton, the Democratic nominee] is in, I’m not doing it. That’s it. I’m only doing it for him. That’s a big deal for Kansas, actually.”
I’m mindful that Trump’s transactional approach to campaign politics has become quite brazen of late. Over the weekend, for example, the president told a Kentucky audience that the administration would invest in a local economic revitalization project, but only if his preferred Senate candidate won.
Earlier this month, Trump similarly told an Ohio audience that he might look unfavorably at the state’s future emergency aid requests if they don’t elect a Republican governor.
At practically every rally, Trump similarly vows to send $5,000 checks to every American adult — at a cost of roughly $1.3 trillion — but only if the election results make him happy.
But his E15 comments in Kansas are arguably the most outrageous to date. There’s nothing about a Democratic-led Congress that would prevent Trump from extending his earlier waiver, but the president made the policy commitment conditional anyway, not because he had to, but because he chose to.
Trump effectively told Kansans he’s prepared to hurt their state on purpose if they vote in a way that displeases him. If there’s a defense or a precedent for such a presidential message, I can’t think of it.
The post Trump takes transactional politics to a new level at latest campaign rally appeared first on MS NOW.
During an interview with ABC News released on Monday, Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed responded to a question on whether he will condemn Iran’s current regime by stating that “this idea of like, condemn or not condemn” is
The post El-Sayed: ‘Odd Approach’ to Ask if I Condemn Iran’s Regime appeared first on Breitbart.
During a portion of an interview with CNN aired on Monday’s “Inside Politics,” Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Troy Jackson could not say what percentage he wanted to tax billionaires at and said that “I’m sure we’ll figure out what
The post Troy Jackson: ‘We’ll Figure Out’ What Percent I Want to Tax Billionaires ‘When I Get There’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Wisconsin Democrats flipped out after a Republican candidate was advertised on a sign as “Normal Guy, Normal Name.”
The post Dem State Rep Says ‘Normal Guy, Normal Name’ on GOP Candidate’s Signs Is Transphobic appeared first on Breitbart.
Top Republicans have stopped spending in a politically daunting North Carolina Senate race, but President Donald Trump is standing by his handpicked nominee, Michael Whatley, with a Tuesday visit he is hoping can turn out GOP voters.
The North Carolina trip, part of a seven-day, seven-state midterm blitz by the president comes as current MS NOW/FiftyPlusOne polling has the state’s former governor Roy Cooper leading Whatley by 10 points. Despite Whatley’s uphill battle, the president is standing by him, hoping to ignite Republicans with early voting now underway.
That support from the president, however, comes as the top Senate Republican super PAC paused future spending in North Carolina earlier this month and slashed ad spending, indicating a lack of confidence in the race.
The Senate Leadership Fund cut $13.2 million in ad spending on the North Carolina Senate race on Oct. 2, according to AdImpact, and “other smaller cuts have trickled in since,” totaling $14.6 million in cuts. That same day, Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn that he hoped Whatley wins, but was “worried” about him. The North Carolina cut was accompanied by a seven-figure Republican ad buy in historically red Kansas.
Trump’s decision to stand by Whatley and campaign with him in the final midterm stretch despite the current state of the race and his party’s pullback is putting the president’s own political strength on the line.
The president, and his political team, do not believe North Carolina is entirely out of reach, but the trip is also designed to mitigate the scale of a loss, according to one current and one former White House official who are familiar with Trump’s midterm strategy.
“At the very least, you don’t want to handpick a guy in a swing state and then not work to help him,” said the current White House official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal midterm election strategy, as were others for this story. The official continued that for “reputation sake” it was advantageous for Trump to campaign for Whatley.
“The issue is turnout. [Trump’s team] feels like he can draw low-propensity voters out, which makes Whatley more competitive,” the former official said.
“No one can dispute the fact that President Trump has created one of the most robust coalitions in political history with the MAGA movement, and the president understands how to communicate with them,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said. “President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party, and he is committed to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress,” Ingle added.
Even as Republicans face a tough political landscape this fall with elevated inflation and the ongoing war with Iran, the president insists that his October rallies are turning the tide by energizing the party. But his ability to turn out the vote is being tested.
According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, 33% of American adults approve of the president, while 66% disapprove. According to the poll, Trump’s approval on the economy is at 28%.
“President Trump is barnstorming the country to tout Republicans’ historic wins and rally with voters who want Michael Whatley and [House candidate] Laurie Buckhout cutting taxes, slashing violent crime and putting North Carolina first,” said Republican National Committee spokesperson Emma Hall. “Unfortunately for the Democrats, they are stuck defending soft-on-crime hack Roy Cooper and do-nothing [Rep.] Don Davis,” she said.
Cooper, a well-known two-term governor of the state, has homed in on affordability messaging and made a central campaign promise to “make stuff cost less.”
Whatley has tried to catch up. His initial campaign messaging focused heavily on reducing crime and increasing public safety but has shifted in recent days with his own sharpened focus on affordability.
North Carolina is also home to one of Republicans’ more perilous redistricting gambits this cycle. The state’s GOP-led legislature last year targeted moderate Democrat Don Davis by reshaping his seat to make it more winnable, and friendly, to conservatives. To do that, Republicans made the nearby 3rd District, held by GOP congressman Greg Murphy, better for Democrats while still being decidedly Trump-friendly.
Despite the redraw meant to help Republicans keep control of the House and oust Davis, the incumbent is in a competitive position to potentially win re-election. And Murphy’s seat, where Trump’s Greenville rally is expected to be held, now has signs of vulnerability for the GOP.
The post Trump sticks with Whatley in North Carolina as top Republican spenders pivot appeared first on MS NOW.
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