Republican Vivek Ramaswamy on Friday defended his campaign's ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Dr. Amy Acton in the closely watched race for Ohio governor.

Speaking at a campaign stop in northeast Ohio, he said the advertisement, which features Acton's mother calling her "a liar," had nothing to do with childhood abuse.

"The irony is they're lying about an ad that is about lying," Ramaswamy said.