Ohio Gov Mike DeWine considering Vivek Ramaswamy, Jane Timken to fill JD Vance's Senate seat: report

Two potential candidates have emerged as frontrunners to take over Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Senate seat in Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy and Jane Timken. Once Vance resigns his Senate Seat, DeWine is required to appoint Vance's successor "without delay." The successor will go on to run in a special election in 2026.

Ohio Republican Party chair and Harvard graduate attorney Timken is seen as a slight favorite by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, sources familiar with his decision told the New York Post. Sources told the outlet, however, that the deciding factor in the case would be President-elect Donald Trump, and whether he decides to pressure DeWine into appointing a candidate that aligns with Make America Great Again. If this happens, the candidate to win the seat would likely be entrepreneur and former GOP primary candidate Ramaswamy.

A Republican insider working on Ohio’s senatorial transitions told the outlet that Timken is "a good compromise between MAGA and DeWine in my opinion."

Members of the state’s Republican Party fear Democrat Sherrod Brown, who lost his Senate race last week, returning to try and capture the House seat in the special election, slated for 2026. Whoever is chosen must be able to fend off Brown in an election that doesn’t feature Trump at the top of the ticket. 

“It’s going to be Vivek,” one GOP insider told the Post. “DeWine isn’t going to like it, but Trump is the one who’s gonna make the call. And DeWine will take that call.” 

The source added that DeWine is not a "MAGA guy" and that Ramaswamy is, and Trump has the final say. In March, it was revealed that Trump was considering Ramaswamy for a cabinet position, amid rumors that he could be the vice president pick. On Sunday, Ramaswamy hinted at a possible Trump cabinet position, saying "there’s a couple great options on the table." These positions included Homeland Security director, The Independent reported.

When asked about his replacement on Election Day, Vance replied, "I’m much too superstitious to think about that now," adding, "That sounds like a problem for January 21."