An Ohio restaurant faced aggressive calls, negative online reviews and a protest after announcing a campaign visit by Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, The Independent reported.
Owners Patty and Jon Stahl told The New York Times that Ramaswamy’s Oct. 31 visit to P.J. Marley’s in Medina had been arranged before his campaign released a disputed ad about Democrat Amy Acton and her family, The Independent reported. The Republican couple said they thought the ad was in poor taste but wanted Ramaswamy to follow through on his campaign pledge to lower property taxes and address rising electric costs. They also said they would have hosted a Democratic candidate.
After the visit was announced, staff received aggressive phone calls and the restaurant drew dozens of negative social media reviews, The Independent reported. The outlet said some longtime customers were alienated by the planned appearance.
County Democrats staged an Oct. 31 protest outside P.J. Marley’s, where demonstrators shouted at people entering, The Independent reported. Bartender Anthony Buchanan told The New York Times that a protester challenged him about working at the restaurant and that he did not respond. Buchanan said he teaches third grade and also bartends. “I’m just trying to get my money,” he told the newspaper.
The campaign ad featured Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, and portrayed Acton as a liar in connection with sexual abuse by Arthur’s late husband when Acton was a child, The Independent reported. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had called for the ad to be removed, CBS News reported, in earlier coverage of Republican criticism of the ad.
Acton defeated Ramaswamy with 52.3% of the vote to his 44.4%, The Independent reported. The outlet said her win shifted control of the Ohio governorship after 16 years of Republican leadership.
