Washington, November 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Republican Representative Mike Turner has blamed a late campaign advertisement by Vivek Ramaswamy for hurting Republican candidates across Ohio, saying it may have cost him his congressional seat in last week’s election.
Turner, who lost to Democrat Kristina Knickerbocker, made the remarks during an interview with CNN on Wednesday. He said the advertisement targeting Democrat Amy Acton, who defeated Ramaswamy in the Ohio governor’s race, had an impact across the state.
“That final ad from Vivek really was kind of a lightning strike at the end, and it had an impact up and down the ticket in all the races,” Turner said, according to CNN’s interview transcript.
Asked whether he believed the advertisement cost him his seat, Turner replied, “I think absolutely that that was the margin at the end, yes, absolutely.”
The advertisement featured criticism of Acton by her mother, Donna Arthur. According to The Daily Beast, Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who had endorsed Ramaswamy, criticised the advertisement and urged him to withdraw it, while maintaining his endorsement.
Turner also acknowledged a broader Democratic wave against Republicans and suggested that some voters had cast ballots as a protest. Asked whether the war with Iran had been a mistake, he defended President Donald Trump, arguing that previous administrations had failed to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Turner had represented his southwestern Ohio district for more than two decades. His defeat came alongside Ramaswamy’s loss in the gubernatorial contest. Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati-born biotech entrepreneur, had previously sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 before ending his campaign after the Iowa caucuses. Acton is a former Ohio public health director.
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