Christine Cockley is the state representative for House District 6 on the west side of Columbus.
Mudslinging in politics isn’t new. Political campaigns often go negative, especially in tight races. But the new advertisement Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign is putting $4 million behind is a new low, and I am beyond disgusted.
It posits that Democratic nominee Dr. Amy Acton is lying about thesexual assault and neglectthat she endured as a child; that Acton can’t be trusted because she’s misremembering her abuse.
It has been well documented that Acton’s stepfather did rape her whenshe was 12 years oldand, when charged, he fled the state.
These aren’t half-truths; these are facts.
Turning trauma on Ohio women
The bottom line is that Ramaswamy knows this and is weaponizing a woman’s trauma
to score cheap political points in his endless quest for power.
When children disclose abuse or neglect, unfortunately there are too many parents who respond the way Acton’s mother did: denying the abuse, calling the child a liar, or dismissing the child’s ability to tell the truth.
Acton’s mother fled the state with the man who raped her daughter and remained married to him until his death.
It is appalling that Ramaswamy would give this woman, who has been estranged from her daughter for decades, a platform to undermine Acton’s account of her own abuse and accuse her of lying about her abuse. No one should have to relive their trauma to satisfy a political agenda, and no child should be taught that their voice and their truth do not matter.
Not only does this vile attack come weeks before the election, but also in the midst of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, when we are seeing an increase in domestic violence fatalities across the state.
Furthermore, according to the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, approximately 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before their 18th birthday, and only 38% of those child victims disclose the abuse.
Survivors of domestic violence, including sexual abuse, deserve to decide whether or not they share their stories. When and how those stories are shared is deeply personal.
Sexual abuse is a form of domestic violence, and using someone’s childhood trauma to say they are unfit for office should disqualify the person running the attack ad itself. Survivors are already leaders in our communities, serving honorably every day.
Being a survivor of sexual abuse does not disqualify you
As a state legislator, I ran for office because I wanted to lead with kindness, empathy, and resilience – those same characteristics are why I support Acton.
In fact, I think we need more elected officials who have lived experiences similar to those of the Ohioans they are running to represent. Being a survivor of sexual abuse does not disqualify you from leading a state, and it’s unforgivable and appalling that Ramaswamy would campaign on someone’s personal trauma.
It is, however, entirely unsurprising given Ramaswamy has repeatedly stood by sex offenders and accepted thousands of dollars from Jeffrey Epstein’s conspirators.
I know the people of this district, whether Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, to be decent people who serve others. The lack of decency this ad displays is disqualifying. Our people, our state, deserve better from their next governor. This ad has no place in our politics, and it has no place in Ohio.
Ramaswamy has made it clear that he thinks anyone, including children who are victims of rape and abuse, are expendable.
He has shown he has no interest in serving the public unless it can benefit himself.
Yet, despite it all, Acton has shown what it means to be a true Ohioan. She has continued to lead with empathy and kindness because she has been the child who needed help. She will reduce the high costs from the cost-of-living crisis created by Ohio’s total Republican trifecta, ensuring even the most vulnerable Ohioans can afford housing, gas, and groceries.
I’m thrilled for her to be our next governor because I know she’ll lead with the needs of every Ohio child in mind, especially those who have nowhere safe to turn.
Christine Cockley is the state representative for House District 6 on the west side of Columbus.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Vivek Ramaswamy sees even victimized children as expendable | Lawmaker
