The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com, Ohio's largest newspaper, reversed a recently announced editorial policy on Sunday, 26 October 2026 to endorse Democrat Amy Acton for governor — a direct response to a campaign advertisement by Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy that the paper said 'weaponizes the sexual abuse his opponent, Amy Acton, suffered as a child.'

Why the Editorial Board Changed Course

The paper's editorial board had announced just months earlier that it would no longer weigh in on top-of-the-ticket races — governor, US Senate, and president — after readers indicated they did not need its guidance in those contests. That policy lasted only until the Ramaswamy advertisement surfaced.

'We made our endorsement policy to serve our readers. We cannot let it become a reason to remain silent when we believe Ohio faces a choice this consequential,' the board wrote in its editorial titled 'We cannot remain silent: Amy Acton for governor.'

'A candidate who uses childhood sexual abuse as a weapon against the person who endured it has crossed a line that Ohioans should defend, whatever their party,' the editorial stated.

The Advertisement at the Centre of the Row

The advertisement in question features Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who calls her daughter a 'liar' in the ad, according to reports. The Ramaswamy campaign is backing the advertisement with a media buy of approximately $4 million.

The editorial board did not stop at the ad alone. It also faulted Ramaswamy for declining to participate in its 15-part reader Q&A series — in which Acton and Libertarian candidate Don Kissick both took part — and for relocating his business from Ohio to Texas. 'Donald Trump's endorsement cannot substitute for accountability, preparation or judgment,' the board said pointedly.

Ramaswamy Refuses to Back Down

Appearing on Fox News' 'Fox & Friends' on Monday, Ramaswamy defended his campaign's approach. 'I'll tell you the advice I was raised in, you never start a fight, but if you find yourself in one, you finish it, and you have to stand for what is right and what is true,' he said. 'They've attacked me, they've defamed my mother to media silence, it's unbelievable.'

Ramaswamy also levelled fresh attacks on his opponent, saying: 'The fact of the matter is, I am running against somebody who is crazy, unstable, and dishonest.' He further argued that Acton's refusal to debate him undermined her credibility, noting he had agreed to debates on CNN and NBC. Last week, Ramaswamy stood by the ad even as both Democrats and some Republicans condemned it.

Who the Candidates Are

Acton, who served as Ohio's health director under Governor Mike DeWine during the Covid-19 pandemic, was praised by the editorial board as 'prepared.' The board urged readers to 'Stand with decency on Nov. 3.'

Ramaswamy, 41, is a biotech entrepreneur and the son of immigrants from Kerala. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 before endorsing Donald Trump. If elected, he would become the first Indian-American governor of Ohio, joining a small group of Indian-Americans — including Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal — who have led US states.

What Happens Next

More than 676,000 Ohioans have already cast early ballots ahead of Election Day on 3 November. With the Ramaswamy campaign's $4 million ad buy keeping the controversial spot on air, and the editorial board's reversal generating national attention, the final stretch of the Ohio governor's race has become one of the most closely watched state contests in the country.