Acton says she won't speak to Ramaswamy after 'beyond the pale' ad about her mother

Ohio Gov.-elect Amy Acton, a Democrat, said Friday she does not plan to speak with Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, the man she defeated on Tuesday. She pointed to an attack ad he ran against her in the final days of the campaign ¹².

Acton made the remarks in her first TV interview since winning, on CBS Mornings. She said she did not take Ramaswamy's concession call because she did not want to normalize his behavior ¹².

On tapeCNN · Nov 4

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I have no intention of speaking to him,

The ad at the center of the fight

Ramaswamy's ad featured Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who called her daughter a "liar" and urged Ohioans not to vote for her ¹². Acton had not seen her mother since she was 12 years old ².

Acton and her brother were removed from their mother's care after their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested and charged with raping Acton when she was between 10 and 12, CBS News reported. Her brother said their mother stayed married to him until his death in 2004 ².

From Channel GOPVivek Ramaswamy concedes Ohio governor race to Amy ActonVivek Ramaswamy · 210 plays · captioned, with the source named

Acton called the ad "terrible and despicable." She said she believed Ramaswamy ran it "because they were struggling in their campaign." She also said it was "clear" her birth mother "was not well" ².

Republicans split over the ad

Democrats and many Republicans denounced the ad, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Sen. Jon Husted, both Republicans ². Former Gov. John Kasich, also a Republican, criticized it too ¹.

President Trump defended the ad as powerful and said he urged Ramaswamy not to take it down ². Vice President Vance also defended it. He expressed disgust with Republicans who criticized it ¹.

Ramaswamy struck a softer tone in his Tuesday night concession speech. He said he called Acton and left a message to congratulate her ¹².

It was a tough race. It was bitter, at times, in both directions,

Acton won by nearly 8 points and will be the first woman to serve as Ohio's governor ¹.

What happens next

Acton did not say how she would work with Ramaswamy or other Republicans after she takes office. She said voters want officials who "actually solve problems" and are "tired of the hate and chaos and vitriol" ².

She also said she wants to protect Ohio's air and water and bring "good-paying" union jobs to the state. She backs a conditional moratorium, or pause, on new data centers ².

That matters because the two parties' leaders reacted to the ad in very different ways. Ohio Republicans such as DeWine and Husted condemned it. Trump and Vance defended it ¹². Whether that split carries into Ohio politics once Acton governs is a question for the coming months.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Acton defeated Ramaswamy by nearly 8 points; Ramaswamy conceded that night and said he left her a message ¹².
2. Nov 6, 2026Acton told CBS Mornings she has "no intention" of speaking to Ramaswamy ².

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<h2>Acton says she won&#39;t speak to Ramaswamy after &#39;beyond the pale&#39; ad about her mother</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/acton-says-she-won-t-speak-to-ramaswamy-after-beyond-the-pale-ad-about-her-mother">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 6, 2026.</em></p> <p>Ohio Gov.-elect Amy Acton, a Democrat, said Friday she does not plan to speak with Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, the man she defeated on Tuesday. She pointed to an attack ad he ran against her in the final days of the campaign .</p> <p>Acton made the remarks in her first TV interview since winning, on CBS Mornings. She said she did not take Ramaswamy&#39;s concession call because she did not want to normalize his behavior .</p> <blockquote><p>I have no intention of speaking to him,</p><p>&mdash; Amy Acton, governor-elect of Ohio, Democrat</p></blockquote> <h2>The ad at the center of the fight</h2> <p>Ramaswamy&#39;s ad featured Acton&#39;s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who called her daughter a &quot;liar&quot; and urged Ohioans not to vote for her . Acton had not seen her mother since she was 12 years old .</p> <p>Acton and her brother were removed from their mother&#39;s care after their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested and charged with raping Acton when she was between 10 and 12, CBS News reported. Her brother said their mother stayed married to him until his death in 2004 .</p> <p>Acton called the ad &quot;terrible and despicable.&quot; She said she believed Ramaswamy ran it &quot;because they were struggling in their campaign.&quot; She also said it was &quot;clear&quot; her birth mother &quot;was not well&quot; .</p> <h2>Republicans split over the ad</h2> <p>Democrats and many Republicans denounced the ad, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Sen. Jon Husted, both Republicans . Former Gov. John Kasich, also a Republican, criticized it too .</p> <p>President Trump defended the ad as powerful and said he urged Ramaswamy not to take it down . Vice President Vance also defended it. He expressed disgust with Republicans who criticized it .</p> <p>Ramaswamy struck a softer tone in his Tuesday night concession speech. He said he called Acton and left a message to congratulate her .</p> <blockquote><p>It was a tough race. It was bitter, at times, in both directions,</p><p>&mdash; Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican candidate for Ohio governor</p></blockquote> <p>Acton won by nearly 8 points and will be the first woman to serve as Ohio&#39;s governor .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Acton did not say how she would work with Ramaswamy or other Republicans after she takes office. She said voters want officials who &quot;actually solve problems&quot; and are &quot;tired of the hate and chaos and vitriol&quot; .</p> <p>She also said she wants to protect Ohio&#39;s air and water and bring &quot;good-paying&quot; union jobs to the state. She backs a conditional moratorium, or pause, on new data centers .</p> <p>That matters because the two parties&#39; leaders reacted to the ad in very different ways. Ohio Republicans such as DeWine and Husted condemned it. Trump and Vance defended it . Whether that split carries into Ohio politics once Acton governs is a question for the coming months.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/acton-says-she-won-t-speak-to-ramaswamy-after-beyond-the-pale-ad-about-her-mother">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/acton-says-she-won-t-speak-to-ramaswamy-after-beyond-the-pale-ad-about-her-mother.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill, “Acton: 'No intention' of speaking with Ramaswamy after 'beyond the pale' ad” (2026-11-06). thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6205460-amy-acton-refuses-rama
2. CBS News, “Amy Acton says she has "no intention" of speaking to Ramaswamy” (2026-11-06). cbsnews.com/news/amy-acton-vivek-ramaswamy-ohio-governor-cam

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