Ohio Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is sticking with a campaign ad that features his Democratic rival Amy Acton's estranged mother, despite criticism from both parties, The Washington Post reported.

In the ad, Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, says her daughter "is a liar" who lies about her past. "She says she grew up living in a tent," Arthur says. "None of that is true," according to the Washington Examiner, which reported the roughly 60-second spot.

The ad first appeared online Monday evening without saying who paid for it, the BBC reported. Ramaswamy confirmed Tuesday that it came from his campaign and later pledged to spend $4 million to keep airing it, the BBC said.

Acton has given a different account of her childhood. In 2019, she said a man her mother married abused her as a child and that criminal charges were filed, the Washington Examiner reported. She also said her family once lived in a tent at a campground outside Youngstown. The BBC said the ad does not mention that Arthur's husband was charged with raping Acton as a child.

Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, said their mother "stayed married to Amy's rapist until he died," according to the Washington Examiner. He also appears in a new Acton campaign ad.

Some Republicans pushed back. Senator Jon Husted said, "I would not have run that ad," in comments reported by the Associated Press, the BBC said. Nikki Haley said of Ramaswamy, "he's a bad guy."

Vice President JD Vance defended the ad. He said he was "a little bit disgusted" by Republicans who "are whining more about that advertisement" than about Democrats' plans, the BBC reported. President Donald Trump said, "I know nothing about it."

In a statement responding to Washington Examiner questions, the Ramaswamy campaign called Acton "a serial fabulist." Cook Political Report moved the race to "toss up," the BBC said.

What we know: Ramaswamy's campaign is behind the ad and plans to keep running it.
What we don't: Whether the ad will move voters in the weeks before Election Day.