Ohio Governor race shifts in Amy Acton's favor following attack ad

Sabato’s Crystal Ball says the Ohio governor race has shifted in Democrat Amy Acton’s favor after Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign released a deeply personal attack ad targeting Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur. The forecaster moved the contest from “Toss-up” to “Leans Democratic,” noting Democrats have won only one of the past nine gubernatorial elections in Ohio. The ad drew bipartisan criticism because Acton has said she was removed from her mother’s custody at age 12 after suffering sexual abuse by her stepfather, who was indicted on a rape charge but died without prosecution. Ramaswamy’s team confirmed producing the spot and said it will spend $4 million airing it online and on TV. Acton was ahead by about 4.7 points in Nate Silver’s average as of Wednesday, though a Fox News poll was not included.