Modern Family’s Ed O’Neill questions Vivek Ramaswamy’s “questionable business deals” as he endorses opponent Amy Acton for Ohio Governor

Ed O’Neill, best known for portraying Jay Pritchett on Modern Family, has endorsed Democrat Amy Acton for Ohio governor. He also criticized Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy’s record, including references to “a few questionable business deals,” private schooling and a lack of public service experience.

The Married…with Children star contrasted Acton’s personal background and her work with Ramaswamy’s record. O’Neill (80) highlighted they both grew up on the north side of Youngstown. He stated her difficult period of childhood, mentioning that she faced poverty, abuse and periods of homelessness before turning 12.

Acton is currently the Democratic nominee for governor of Ohio in the 2026 election. Before entering politics, she was a physician, paediatrician and public health expert. She is also a nonprofit leader who managed grants and programs at the Columbus Foundation and served as president and CEO of RAPID 5, a public space and park access nonprofit in Franklin County.

Continue reading for more details.

Ed O’Neill questions Vivek Ramaswamy’s “questionable business deals”

Actor Ed O’Neill recently engaged in political activity by endorsing Amy Acton in the Ohio gubernatorial race in a video message.

In a video shared on Acton’s campaign YouTube channel, Ohioans for Amy Acton, O’Neill praised Acton’s resilience as she overcame poverty, periods of homelessness, and abuse before turning 12. He remarked that because of her early hardships:

“It's safe to say she understood what it was like wondering if there was going to be food on the table or if the bills were going to get paid. But she paid her way through college, medical school and she became a calming voice for millions in time of crisis. So now she is running for governor.”

Ed O’Neill continued:

“I couldn’t think of anyone who can better understand the challenges facing Ohioans in Youngstown and across the state.”

Acton is running for governor against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s record. Ed O’Neill contrasted Acton’s years of public service with Ramaswamy’s billionaire status. In the same endorsement video, O’Neill said that he checked Ramaswamy’s record and noted that he has a lot of private schools. According to a report in The Blast, he said:

“So I checked him out, his record, and he's got a lot of private, expensive schools in there. He's got a few questionable business deals in there, but what he doesn't have in there is a service for other people, which I found strange.”

As per Ed O’Neill’s point of view, it was “strange” for him to note that the 41-year-old billionaire entrepreneur lacks a track record of service to the people. Forbes notes that Ramaswamy is a biotech entrepreneur, author and Republican politician who ran for president in 2024. His professional background is rooted entirely in business and investments.

Trending

Ramaswamy started his career on Wall Street and later founded Roivant Sciences, a pharmaceutical firm. He later co-founded Strive Asset Management, an investment firm focused on challenging environmental, social, and governance (ESG) corporate policies. He has never been elected to a local, state, or federal office. He won the Republican primary election in May 2026.

He waded into controversy after claiming a lack of U.S.-born engineers in American tech companies was due to “national mediocrity.” He endorsed allowing skilled foreign tech workers into the U.S. labor market through the H-1B visa program, which sparked a major debate among the political allies.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback