President-elect Donald Trump is quietly pushing entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to fill the Senate seat vacated by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, three sources familiar with the matter confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
Ramaswamy previously took himself out of the running for the position last year after Trump and Vance won the November election, instead accepting a position from the president-elect to co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. However, Ramaswamy’s name has been floated as a contender in recent days and is in advanced conversations, sources told the Washington Post.
Vance resigned from his seat Friday ahead of his swearing-in Monday. Under Ohio law, Gov. Mike DeWine must appoint a replacement to fill the seat for the next two years before holding a special election in 2026, which will decide who will serve until Vance’s term expires in 2029.
DeWine’s deputy, Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, had been considered a prohibitive favorite for the seat. DeWine and Husted are expected to appear tomorrow at an economic development event in Ohio.
Ramaswamy has taken a public backseat to Elon Musk lately in promoting the Department of Government Efficiency and recently got into a tussle with the MAGA wing of the GOP for promoting the use of H-1B visas to attract qualified immigrants for U.S. jobs.
It’s not clear what Ramaswamy’s appointment would mean for his DOGE leadership, although it could mean Musk would take on the group alone.
However, Ramaswamy has also suggested he plans to run for governor of Ohio in 2026, which would coincide with the special election to fill the second half of Vance’s term.
DeWine met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, last week, although it’s not clear if the two discussed Ramaswamy as a candidate while they were there. However, DeWine did tell reporters an appointment would “probably” come sometime this week.
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DeWine reportedly met with Ramaswamy at the Ohio governor’s mansion over the weekend to discuss the position, according to Politico. DeWine’s office declined to comment when asked by the Washington Examiner.
“The feeling is that there are a number of options … agreeable to both President Trump and Governor Mike DeWine,” said Matt Dole, a GOP strategist based in Ohio.