John Legend is bringing some serious star power to Ohio’s governor race. The Springfield native is set to rally with Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton in Dayton on Monday, Oct. 26, just days before the Nov. 3 midterm. He’s part of a full surrogate lineup: Rev. Raphael Warnock joins Acton in Akron on Oct. 25, and The National’s Aaron Dessner and Matt Berninger hit Cincinnati with her on Oct. 28.
The endorsements are landing right as the race against tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy turns ugly. A Ramaswamy ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar and disputing her accounts of abuse and homelessness has drawn bipartisan criticism. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine called it“deeply, deeply troubling”and said it should be taken down, while Trump defended it on Truth Social and criticized DeWine. The campaign has spent $4 million airing it.
So this week Ohio has an indie rock rally, a gospel legend in Akron, and a family feud playing out in a four-million-dollar ad. It’s the kind of race that pulls pop culture and politics into the same room, and everyone’s watching to see which one moves voters. Where do you think the line should be on family history in political ads?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.