The Democrats, caught between a tasteless advert and new donors

The race for the governorship of Ohio between the Democratic candidate, Dr Amy Acton, and the Republican entrepreneur of Indian origin, Vivek Ramaswamy, has been rocked by a distasteful advert. In the advert in question, Acton’s biological mother, Donna Arthur, is seen launching a scathing attack on her, calling her a “liar” and someone who “has lied all her life”, and accusing her of fabricating stories for the election campaign about alleged hardships she faced during her childhood. 

The reality, however, is very different: Acton in fact severed all ties with her mother at the age of 12, following a childhood marked by abuse and violence at the hands of her mother’s second husband. In a message posted on Facebook, Acton wrote that between the ages of 10 and 12 she was sexually abused by her stepfather, whilst her mother did nothing to protect her. In fact, she remained married to him until his death in Pennsylvania in 2004. The stepfather was accused of raping her in 1978, following a complaint made to the authorities by Acton’s biological father: he pleaded not guilty, was indicted by a grand jury and left the state before the trial. Acton and her brother were subsequently removed from their mother’s home; in court, the girl approached her mother to offer a kiss, but her mother turned away. The advertisement, credited to Ramaswamy, was backed by a $4 million advertising campaign and has also drawn criticism from some Republicans.

Political strategist David Urban told CNN that voters, particularly in the wake of the Epstein case, are increasingly empathetic towards victims of sexual violence and that the advert could therefore have backfired on the Republicans. Defending the candidate’s move, however, was President Trump’s son, Donald Jr., who said that voters in Ohio ‘should watch it’.

This highlights a paradox of this election cycle, in which the Republicans continue to hold a clear financial advantage, but do not always manage to translate this into voter support. In the race in Ohio, as things stand, according to the Kalshi prediction monetisation platform, Acton is said to have a 76 per cent chance of winning. However, a lack of funds is a concern amongst the Democrats, particularly in an election cycle that sees them on the offensive in traditionally Republican strongholds. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, national Democrats are reportedly beginning to focus on the possibility of winning a state election in Florida for the first time since 2018. The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) has in fact spent one million dollars to support David Jolly’s campaign for governor of the state. A former Republican who switched to the Democrats during the Trump era, Jolly has centred his campaign on the cost of living, frequently highlighting in his rallies the high cost of housing, petrol, basic necessities and healthcare. At present, his opponent, the Republican Byron Donalds – who, if elected, would be Florida’s first African-American governor – is in the lead, bolstered in part by a much larger campaign budget: 148 million available compared to Jolly’s mere 22. Recently, however, partly due to rising prices linked to the ongoing tensions with Iran, some polls suggest the race remains winnable for the Democrats. 

Meanwhile, a major Democratic donor has returned to the scene to try to counterbalance the Republicans’ financial advantage. Michael Bloomberg, the New York billionaire who spent a billion in 2020 on his failed bid for the presidency, spent 80 million between September and October to help the Democrats. Of this, 50 million is earmarked for securing control of the House of Representatives; a significant difference, as donors on both sides are focusing much more on the Senate. Bloomberg would like to ensure that the Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, enjoys a comfortable majority – rather than a narrow one – next year. Despite this, the billionaire continues to harbor strong doubts about the party’s shift to the left and has decided not to fund any candidates linked to the Democratic Socialists faction.