Meet Amy Acton, who defeats Vivek Ramaswamy: What to know about the Ohio governor-elect whose mother accused her of lying about sexual abuse and childhood rape

Democrat Amy Acton won Ohio’s governor’s race, as she defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, according to The AP, which called the race. With 88% of the votes counted, Acton received 2,116,456 votes, or 50.9%, while Ramaswamy secured 1,904,481 votes, or 45.8%. Libertarian candidate Don Kissick received 139,507 votes, or 3.4%. Her victory over Ramaswamy makes her the first woman elected governor of Ohio and the first Democrat to hold the office since 2006, according to the AP.

The controversy over Amy Acton’s childhood abuse claims

Amy Acton has said she was sexually abused by her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, between the ages of 9 and 12. In 1978, Arthur was arrested and charged with raping a 12-year-old girl after Acton’s biological father reported the abuse, according to court records cited by FactCheck.org and PolitiFact.

Arthur pleaded not guilty but later failed to appear in court and was considered a fugitive. Acton said she was removed from her mother’s custody at age 12 and has been estranged from her mother, Donna Arthur, since then. In October 2026, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign released an attack ad.


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Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, accused her daughter of lying about her childhood. “I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent, it’s not easy for a mother to say this. But Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. She lies about her past,” Donna said in the video.

“She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She’s lied her entire life,” she said. She urged voters not to elect her daughter, adding, “People can change, but first they have to tell the truth, and my daughter still isn’t doing that. Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor.”

Ramaswamy confirmed that his campaign produced the ad and defended it, saying voters should consider the claims. Acton condemned the move, telling WOSU that Ramaswamy had taken advantage of her older mother and describing the ad as part of a pattern of dismissing her childhood abuse.

Who is Amy Acton?

Amy Acton grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. Her family had ties to the steel mills, according to her official campaign biography.

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Acton worked as a waitress and delivered newspapers to help support herself. She later put herself through college and medical school to become a doctor.

She built her career around children’s health. She trained in pediatrics and preventive medicine at Ohio State University and earned a master’s degree in public health. She also created a child advocacy rotation for medical residents.

Acton later led Project L.O.V.E., a community health partnership for children in the Columbus area. She joined Ohio State University’s faculty as a professor of maternal and child health and global public health. She then worked at the Columbus Foundation on issues such as youth homelessness and women’s health.

In 2019, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Acton director of the Ohio Department of Health. She worked with officials from both parties on the opioid crisis and helped shape a settlement to fund addiction recovery programs.

In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Acton helped guide Ohio’s public health response. Her work earned her the Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in 2021. USA Today also named her Ohio Woman of the Year in 2022.

After she left the DeWine administration, Acton returned to the Columbus Foundation. She helped launch the Center for Human Kindness and worked with local leaders on Rapid 5, a nonprofit focused on parks, waterways and community health.

Acton later entered the governor’s race. She lives in Bexley, Ohio, with her husband, Eric, a teacher and coach. They have six children.