VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JD VANCE RESIGNED HIS OHIO SENATE SEAT LAST WEEK AS HIS AND PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S INAUGURATION DRAWS NEAR.
NOW THERE’S A VACANT SENATE SEAT.
OHIO GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF APPOINTING A SENATOR TO FILL IT… AND SUDDENLY, ALL EYES ARE BACK ON VIVEK RAMASWAMY FOR THE ROLE.
THE ENTREPRENEUR AND FORMER GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE REMOVED HIMSELF FROM CONSIDERATION TWO MONTHS AGO, HOWEVER, POLITICO REPORTS THE REPUBLICAN MET WITH DEWINE AT THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION OVER THE WEEKEND.
TRUMP ALSO PRIVATELY ENCOURAGED RAMASWAMY TO CONSIDER THE APPOINTMENT IF GOVERNOR DEWINE MAKES THE OFFER, THE WASHINGTON POST FIRST REPORTED.
DEWINE HAS SAID HE WANTS TO APPOINT SOMEONE CAPABLE OF WINNING THE 2026 SPECIAL ELECTION TO FINISH VANCE’S TERM AND RETAIN THE SENATE SEAT IN 2028.
[TAKE GFX: QUOTE BELOW FROM DAN TIERNEY, GOV. DEWINE’S PRESS SECRETARY]
“NEITHER GOVERNOR DEWINE NOR OUR OFFICE HAS COMMENTED ON ANY POSSIBLE CANDIDATES FOR THE PENDING APPOINTMENT,” DAN TIERNEY, DEWINE’S PRESS SECRETARY SAID IN A STATEMENT.
SHORTLY AFTER THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, TRUMP TASKED RAMASWAMY TO CO-LEAD THE NEWLY PROPOSED COST-CUTTING DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY – ALSO KNOWN AS ‘DOGE’ — WITH TECH MOGUL, ELON MUSK.
RAMASWAMY, THE SON OF IMMIGRANT PARENTS FROM INDIA, GREW UP IN THE CINCINNATI AREA AND ATTENDED HARVARD AND YALE.
IT’S UNCLEAR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO RAMASWAMY’S POSITION WITH DOGE IF HE ACCEPTS THE SENATOR POSITION – AS DOGE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY.