Vice President JD Vance urged Republicans on Wednesday to stop criticizing a controversial attack ad from Vivek Ramaswamy’s Ohio gubernatorial campaign and concentrate on winning the election, which is less than two weeks away.

Speaking at a news conference in Cincinnati ahead of a campaign event with Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee, and Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, Vance expressed frustration that members of his party were spending more time condemning the advertisement than opposing the Democratic agenda.

“Stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days,” Vance told Republicans, dismissing the internal dispute as a distraction from the campaign’s central objective.

The ad features the estranged mother of Amy Acton, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, criticizing her daughter. According to Politico, Acton was removed from her mother’s home after her stepfather was charged with raping her, adding a deeply personal and sensitive dimension to the political dispute.

Ramaswamy acknowledged Tuesday that his campaign was responsible for the advertisement, which had surfaced the previous day. Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, condemned the spot as a “desperate, disgusting attack.”

The advertisement has also drawn criticism from within the Republican Party. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who clashed with Ramaswamy during their campaigns for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, used the controversy to renew her criticism of the Ohio candidate.

“He’s a bad guy,” Haley said, arguing that the advertisement reinforced concerns she had raised about Ramaswamy during the presidential primary.

Vance, however, defended the campaign’s broader approach and argued that disputes over the ad’s tone should not overshadow the stakes of the election. When questioned by a BBC reporter, he said Republicans could decide for themselves whether the advertisement was too harsh or not aggressive enough, but maintained that his priority was electing Republicans in Ohio.

The vice president also pointed to the attacks he has faced in his own political career, noting that Ramaswamy had been labeled a murderer during the campaign. Vance described politics as a tough business and suggested that Republicans should expect aggressive tactics rather than allow controversy over campaign messaging to undermine their efforts.

The dispute comes during the final stretch of a closely contested gubernatorial race in Ohio, a state that has traditionally favored Republicans but has become a focal point of the national political battle. With Election Day scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, both campaigns are working to secure support before voters head to the polls.

Vance’s intervention underscores the tension between Republicans who believe the advertisement crosses a line and those who argue that the party should prioritize electoral victory over internal criticism. For the vice president, the immediate objective is clear: keep Republicans focused on defeating Acton rather than allowing the controversy to dominate the closing days of the campaign.

Neither the Acton nor the Ramaswamy campaign immediately responded to requests for comment on Vance’s remarks.