GOP Poll: Ramaswamy's Attack Ad Hurt His Governor Bid

Vivek Ramaswamy's big swing at his opponent in Ohio's gubernatorial race may have landed hardest on his own campaign. An internal Republican poll obtained by Axios finds Democrat Amy Acton now ahead by eight points in the race, up six points from before Ramaswamy began airing an ad starring Acton's estranged mother. The Cook Political Report has shifted its assessment of the race from "toss-up" to "lean Democrat," and the Columbus Dispatch notes that a Suffolk University Political Research Center poll conducted in the wake of the ad's Oct. 19 release showed Acton with a 48% to 44% lead.

The spot, which attacks Acton's account of childhood sexual abuse and portrays her as a liar, was heavily pushed by Ramaswamy over internal GOP objections and backed publicly by President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. A memo with the poll obtained by Axios says 86% of respondents had heard of the ad, and among those, reactions broke about 2-to-1 in Acton's favor. Republican strategists worry the backlash could drag down the entire ticket, including Sen. Jon Husted, in a state central to Senate control. Ramaswamy's campaign declined to comment.