Illinois first lady MK Pritzker has donated to Ohio gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton’s campaign after her opponent debuted a controversial TV ad featuring her estranged mother.
The advertisement features Acton’s estranged mother, who lost custody of her daughter in the 1970’s after her husband was indicted on accusations that he raped the then-12-year-old Acton. In the ad, Donna Arthur calls Acton “a liar” and insinuated she is experiencing mental health issues.
Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign has stood behind the advertisement and his campaign has spent a reported $4 million to air it online and on TV in the hotly contested governor’s race in Ohio.
According to the Associated Press and NBC News, police and court records show Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with raping Acton in 1978. He has since died, and he was a fugitive when he failed to show for a court appearance.
Acton has spoken out publicly on experiencing houselessness as a child and has spoken about being abused while growing up. Acton has told reporters she has not seen her birth mother since she was 12 years old.
On Wednesday, MK Pritzker confirmed she had donated $500,000 to Acton’s campaign in the wake of the advertisement.
“This race is about standing up to bullies, confronting extremism, and making damn sure that men who thrive on cruelty and division don’t get a free pass to govern. Ohio deserves better, Ohio deserves Amy Acton as their governor, and I’m willing to fight for her,” she said.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker shared the statement on social media, and said he was “proud” of his wife for making a stand in the controversy.
Since the ad debuted, a tsunami of controversy has followed, with both Democrats and Republicans largely criticizing Ramaswamy and urging the campaign to take the advertisement down.
In her statement, Pritzker called the ad “everything that is wrong in our politics today,” and said she is dedicated to backing Acton in the closing days of the campaign.
“Bad men gain power when we refuse to stand up and fight. Vivek Ramaswamy represents everything that is wrong in our politics today: arrogance, cruelty, dishonesty, and the belief that it’s acceptable to say and do anything for power,” she said. “I refuse to sit quietly while men like Vivek Ramaswamy exploit a highly qualified woman’s pain for political gain.”
Still there are some Republicans who are in Ramaswamy’s corner, including Vice President JD Vance, who encouraged members of the GOP to “stop whining” about the advertisement.
“Politics is a tough business, and my message to my fellow elected Republicans is if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days,” he said.
Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to Vance’s Senate seat and is now running for a six-year term in Ohio, told reporters he “would not have run that ad” when asked about it this week.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who has endorsed Ramaswamy, was also among those who had denounced the ad, calling it “deeply, deeply troubling.”
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