COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial attack ad featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton, is off the air after the Republican spent about a quarter of what his campaign initially said it would invest to run it.
Ramaswamy said during a campaign appearance in Vandalia, Ohio, on Thursday that the ad’s planned run was over. His campaign originally said it would spend $4 million to air the ad, but data from the ad-tracking firm AdImpact showed it spent roughly $1 million.
The divisive spot had provoked backlash in Ohio and among politicians of both parties across the nation. It featured Donna Arthur calling her daughter a lifelong liar. That was despite the two having not seen each other for nearly 50 years. Arthur lost custody of her children in 1978 after her husband, their stepfather, was indicted for raping Acton when she was 12.
Ramaswamy had defended the ad, though a later version trimmed some portions.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance said they supported the decision to air the ad. The president said he told Ramaswamy to leave it on the air, adding “she's fair game.”
Ohio governors past and present, alumni of Ramaswamy’s Catholic high school in Cincinnati and others had urged him to pull it down.
Acton’s campaign said the ad was “despicable” and should never have run and that Ramaswamy should have apologized.
Associated Press reporter Thomas Beaumont contributed from Des Moines, Iowa.
Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton speaks at a campaign rally Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy arrives before President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Shoemaker Center at Ohio University Chillicothe in Chillicothe, Ohio, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Logan Cooley completed a hat trick against his hometown team with a second left, Mikhail Sergachev scored at 3:27 of overtime and the Utah Mammoth stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Thursday night.
After Ben Kindel put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2 with 25 seconds left, Cooley — playing his third NHL game in Pittsburgh — batted the puck in from the left side of the net for sixth goal in four games and seventh of the season.
Cooley became the third Pittsburgh native with a hat trick against the Penguins, joining Brandon Saad and R.J. Umberger. At age 5, Cooley took part in Sidney Crosby’s first Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey program.
Cooley scored for the first time in seven games against Pittsburgh. He had two first-period goals to give the Mammoth an early 2-0 lead, and scored in the third for his third career hat trick.
In overtime, Sergachev beat Arturs Silovs off a rebound in front.
Sebastian Cossa stopped 31 shots for the Mammoth, who have won three of their last five games overall. Utah is 5-0-0 after a loss and 8-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Rickard Rakell had a short-handed goal, and Erik Karlsson also scored for Pittsburgh. Silovs made 30 saves.
Mammoth: At Philadelphia on Sunday.
Penguins: At Montreal on Saturday night.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
The winning goal by Utah Mammoth's Mikhail Sergachev (not shown) gets behind Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs during the overtime period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs (37) blocks a shot by Utah Mammoth's Logan Cooley with Penguins' Kaedan Korczak (6) defending during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Utah Mammoth's Logan Cooley (92) gets a shot behind Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs (37) for his second goal of the first period during an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Utah Mammoth's Logan Cooley (92) celebrates after his first of two goals with Nate Schmidt (88) in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Utah Mammoth's Logan Cooley (92) celebrates after his goal with Mikhail Sergachev (98) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
