President Trump is reportedly encouraging Vivek Ramaswamy to seek the appointment for Ohio’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.
Trump previously tabbed the biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate to run the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with Elon Musk.
Gov. Mike DeWine must appoint a replacement to fill the seat left vacant by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.
Ramaswamy removed himself from consideration for the seat to focus on DOGE.
However, news outlets reported that Ramaswamy met with the Ohio governor about the seat last weekend.
BREAKING: Trump encourages Vivek Ramaswamy to seek Ohio’s open Senate seat. His camp says that this will aid his efforts in DOGE and help advance legislative goals by giving him a perch in congress. pic.twitter.com/Si3aD2ZWpx
— Autism Capital
(@AutismCapital) January 15, 2025
NBC News reports:
But Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who will appoint an interim successor to take over Vance’s seat, chatted with Ramaswamy about the Senate vacancy in a meeting last weekend at the Governor’s Mansion in Columbus, according to a source familiar with the talks. The source, who was granted anonymity to share details about private conversations, also said Trump has encouraged Ramaswamy to accept the appointment if DeWine offers it.
ADVERTISEMENTTrump aides did not respond to requests for comment. Spokespeople for DeWine and Ramaswamy declined to comment.
“Neither Governor DeWine nor our office has commented on any possible candidates for the pending appointment,” DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney wrote in a text message.
The Washington Post first reported Trump’s encouragement of Ramaswamy. Politico first reported the meeting with DeWine.
Though Ramaswamy initially took himself out of the running for the Senate, he has been a constant factor in DeWine’s deliberations over who should replace Vance, who resigned last week in advance of his swearing-in as vice president.
SCOOP: President-elect Donald Trump is encouraging Vivek Ramaswamy to take the Ohio Senate seat vacated by JD Vance’s departure, per sources
Unclear what this would mean for DOGE, which Trump picked Ramaswamy & Musk to lead in November
Senate decision up to Ohio’s governor
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) January 15, 2025
Via: The Washington Post pic.twitter.com/5uhsS9Tu3l
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 15, 2025
Ramaswamy is a Cincinnati native and lives in the Columbus area, NBC News noted.
More from The Columbus Dispatch:
Several Ohio Republicans have expressed interest in the Senate seat, including Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken. Sources have said Husted is the frontrunner, but he’s weighing whether to accept the appointment or pursue a run for governor in 2026.
A spokesperson for DeWine declined to comment.
ADVERTISEMENTRamaswamy is a suburban Columbus resident who grew up in the Cincinnati area. After graduating from Harvard and Yale Law School − where he studied with Vance − Ramaswamy founded a pharmaceutical company and asset management firm. After an unsuccessful bid for president, he became a staunch Trump ally who many view as the future of the Republican Party.
The president-elect tapped Ramaswamy to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, with Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk. Ramaswamy is also rumored as a potential candidate for Ohio governor.
It’s unclear what would happen to Ramaswamy’s role in DOGE if he becomes a senator. The group is not an official government agency.
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