‘That ad made me feel worse’: Conservatives recoil from Ramaswamy over jarring attack ad

Conservatives are expressing second thoughts about Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over an attack ad featuring the long-estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, which Acton’s campaign has blamed on him.The ad, which features Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her of lying about her background and about Ramaswamy, began circulating online late Monday and was shared by conservatives, including Donald Trump Jr., some of whom promoted it as a bombshell. But Ramaswamy faced growing backlash as details came to light about the Democratic candidate’s childhood.Acton, a physician, told a reporter in 2019 that her stepfather sexually abused her as a child. He was charged with rape in 1978, and she has said the last time she saw her mother was at the courthouse after the charges were filed. Her mother and stepfather later left the state. Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, said in a statement that their mother “stayed married...