Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he would consider taking in the Senate should Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) become vice president, the Daily Caller reported in an exclusive. Former President Donald Trump tapped Vance as his vice presidential running mate on Monday.
Vance has been a senator since 2023 but would have to vacate his position if the Trump/Vance ticket is successful in November. At that time, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine would be tasked with appointing "some suitable person having the necessary qualifications for senator" before a special election could be held in November 2026.
If that's the case, Ramaswamy said he'd "strongly consider" stepping into the role. "If asked to serve, I would strongly consider the position," Ramaswamy told the Caller Monday.
The billionaire qualified his answer by saying he would have to clear it with Trump and his vision for the future of the Republican Party. Ramaswamy greatly respects the former president's decision to pick Vance, calling him "one of the best fighters" in Congress.
It seems Ramaswamy is already a popular choice for the job. Debbie Lang, a committeewoman for the Ohio Republican Party, told the Caller that Ramaswamy "would be amazing" in the Senate.
"He’s great. He’s such a supporter of President Trump. He can articulate our conservative values. He’s wonderful," Lang gushed.
"He’s our future. He’s a young man, and he’s brilliant. And so he would be good," she added.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) also believes Ramaswamy is the obvious choice. "I hope Vivek is Governor DeWine's choice. I mean, he'd be a great senator if he wants it," Banks, who is running for Indiana's other Senate seat, said, according to Fox News.
Other names being bandied about include state Sen. Matt Dolan, who opposed Vance in the GOP primary and was DeWine's pick before Vance clinched the nomination. Also under consideration is Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH), who is a logical pick considering his close ties to both DeWine and Trump.
All of this talk about replacing Vance hinges on the supposition that Trump will win the presidential election. Republicans are optimistic after Trump's brush with death over the weekend.
According to Atlanta News First, Trump got a bump in his numbers in the first major poll since he survived an assassination attempt on Saturday. An Emerson College poll released Thursday shows that Trump has overtaken President Joe Biden in each of the seven key battleground states.
Trump leads Biden 46.8% to 41.6% in Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona. Of course, pollsters hinted that the findings that cut in favor of Trump may not be what they seem.
"Recent polling shows Biden losing support more significantly than Trump gaining it since the attempted assassination. This raises questions about whether Biden’s decline is still influenced by the debate or if Trump has reached his support ceiling," Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball said.
There is still plenty of time for anything to happen before November's election. Still, it appears Republicans are moving in a more conservative direction after Trump picked Vance, and others are considering Ramaswamay to fill his seat.
