选举预测机构“Crystal Ball”在分析了民主党候选人艾米·阿克顿（Amy Acton）的对手维韦克·拉马斯瓦米（Vivek Ramaswamy）发布的争议性竞选广告后，上调了对俄亥俄州州长选举结果的预测：原本认为这场选举结果难以预测（“势均力敌”），现在改为“民主党更有可能获胜”。
Election forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball moved its ratings of Ohio’s gubernatorial race toward Democratic nominee Amy Acton (D), following a controversial campaign ad launched by her opponent Vivek Ramaswamy (R). Previously, Crystal Ball rated Ohio’s governor race as a “toss up,” but have now changed it to “leans democratic,” following what they called “an explosive—and desperate—attack ad,” according to their latest report published Thursday.
根据该机构周四发布的最新报告，这则广告被描述为“极具攻击性且带有绝望色彩的营销手段”。这则广告的内容是阿克顿与母亲唐娜·亚瑟（Donna Arthur）之间的激烈对话：唐娜在视频中称阿克顿为“骗子”，并敦促俄亥俄州的选民投票反对她。起初尚不清楚这则广告的幕后黑手是谁，但后来拉马斯瓦米的团队确认是他们制作的，并计划投入400万美元来推广该广告。
The clip that began circulating earlier this week features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling the Democrat “a liar” and urging Ohioans to vote against her. Initially, it was unclear who was behind the video, but Ramaswamy’s team later confirmed that it was behind the ad and would spend $4 million to promote it. In a 2019 interview with The Vindicator, Acton talked about her unstable childhood where she was subject to abuse, neglect and homelessness. She opened up about facing sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather, which resulted in criminal charges and ultimately led to her break in relationship with her mother.
在2019年接受《The Vindicator》采访时，阿克顿曾透露自己童年时期饱受虐待、忽视，甚至无家可归；她还公开了自己曾遭受继父性虐待的经历，这一事件最终导致她与母亲关系破裂。在视频中，她的母亲指责阿克顿在撒谎，否认她曾有过在帐篷中生活的经历。
Her mother, in the video, called Acton a liar and disputed her claims of living in a tent at one point while growing up. “She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She’s lied her entire life. My daughter needs help, and she can’t help you if she needs help herself,” Acton’s mother said in the video.
阿克顿周三在接受CBS旗下WBNS电视台采访时回应了这则广告，称其内容“极具剥削性”。这则广告引发了社会各界的广泛批评：俄亥俄州共和党参议员乔恩·赫斯特德（Jon Husted）表示自己“绝不会发布这样的广告”；而现任共和党参议员乔恩·赫斯特德将在即将到来的参议院选举中对阵前民主党参议员谢罗德·布朗（Sherrod Brown），布朗称这则广告“令人作呕”，并呼吁赫斯特德予以谴责。
Acton responded Wednesday to the ad in an interview with CBS affiliate WBNS, calling it “an exploitative thing to do.”The ad prompted widespread criticism across the board with Ohio Sen. Jon Husted (R) telling the Associated Press on Wednesday that he “would not have run” it. The current GOP senator is facing former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), who said the ad was “disgusting” and called on Husted to condemn it, in the upcoming race for Senate.
《水晶球》报告说：“在内部，我们在心理账本上略微倾向于阿克顿和布朗，但我们也必须不断提醒自己，俄亥俄州是一个明显偏红的州。”
“Internally, we have been giving a slight edge to Acton and Brown in our mental ledger, but we also have to continually remind ourselves that Ohio is a clearly red-leaning state,” Crystal Ball’s report said.