On October 20, 2026, Donna Arthur, Amy Acton's estranged mother, appeared in a Ramaswamy campaign ad calling her daughter a liar and urging Ohio voters not to elect her. The spot was leaked to right-wing influencers before airing, backed by $4 million, and endorsed by Trump, who urged Ramaswamy to keep it running. Reporting surfaced warrants for Acton's stepfather and established that Acton was removed from her mother's home at 12 after disclosing abuse. Ramaswamy cut the ad to 30 seconds, then pulled it entirely. Cook Political Report shifted the race from toss-up to lean Democrats, and prediction markets put Acton at 79 percent.