Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) kneecapped a key political attack Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is making in his advertisements against the Democratic candidate, former state public health official Dr. Amy Acton.
According to NBC4, Ramaswamy "and his running mate, state Senate President Rob McColley, sponsored an ad that claims, 'Amy Acton called off Ohio’s election at the last minute, defying a judge’s orders and abusing her power.' The ad refers to the last-minute closure of the polls before the 2020 primary election," as a safety precaution during the initial spread of the COVID pandemic.
But speaking to NBC4, DeWine made it clear that it was actually he who gave Acton the directive to do so.
“In government this happens all the time. Do you think a member of the president’s cabinet would issue this kind of order without his approval?” said DeWine. “I told her to issue the health order. The decision was mine.”
DeWine has endorsed Ramaswamy to succeed him as governor — but made clear he did not want to let the falsehood he is currently spreading stand.
As to why he issued the order, he said, “I ultimately thought if I did not make that decision people were going to die.”
Ramaswamy, who ran for president in 2024 mainly on a platform that was highly complimentary of President Donald Trump even as he was nominally competing with him, has faced a number of obstacles in the governor race despite Ohio's longstanding Republican lean. For one, as a man with Indian ancestry, he has openly admitted that much of the MAGA base has displayed racism toward him.
