Trump urges Vivek Ramaswamy to take JD Vance Ohio Senate

On By Littum

Ramaswamy is a Columbus suburbanite who grew up in the Cincinnati area

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President-elect Donald Trump is urging his former campaign rival, Vivek Ramaswamy, to consider a nomination for Ohio’s vacant U.S. Senate seat, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

Gov. Mike DeWine must choose someone to replace Vice President JD Vance, who resigned his senate seat last week. The appointee will serve under Senator Bernie Moreno for two years and must run in November 2026 if he or she wishes to retain the seat. The winner of that election will serve for the remainder of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028.

Washington Post first reported that Ramaswamy is back in the running months after withdrawing his name for consideration. A source familiar with the discussions confirmed to this newspaper’s state office that Ramaswamy is considering the position and recently met with DeWine.

Ramaswamy’s resurgence came weeks later he faced setbacks for a social media post denouncing American “mediocrity” and a culture that reveres sitcom characters like Zach and Slater from “Saved By the Bell.”

Several Ohio Republicans have expressed interest in the Senate seat, including Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken. Sources have said Husted is the front-runner, but he is considering whether to accept the nomination or pursue a run for governor in 2026.

A spokesman for DeWine declined to comment.

Ramaswamy 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 an asset management firm. After one failed bid as president, he became a staunch Trump ally, who many see as the future of the Republican Party.

The president-elect tapped Ramaswamy to lead the newly formed Ministry of Government Efficiencyalso known as DOGE, with Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk. Ramaswamy is also rumored as a potential candidate for Ohio governor.

It is unclear what would happen to Ramaswamy’s role in DOGE if he becomes a senator. The group is not an official government body.

Haley BeMiller covers state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations throughout Ohio.