Vivek Ramaswamy and Jane Timken have emerged as possible replacements for Vice President-elect J.D. Vance's U.S. Senate seat. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will choose who will fill the seat until a 2026 special election.
With President-elect Donald Trump's win, the political landscape is about to be completely overhauled. Part of that includes figuring out who will replace Vance next year.
DeWine will likely choose someone who most reflects Trump's values rather than the old-guard GOP. Ramaswamy has made a name for himself with his steadfast support for Trump while Timken is mainstay in the state Republican Party.
Whoever the replacement is will have to win the vote in 2026 and face reelection again in 2028. Nevertheless, there's no shortage of solid candidates at the ready.
Vance is a freshman Senator just elected in 2022 and hasn't publicly stated who he would like to take over for him. "I'm much too superstitious to think about that now," Vance said ahead of Election Day. Sen. Bernie Moreno, Ohio's other U.S. Senator who was just elected, echoed similar sentiments.
"That sounds like a problem for January 21. That’s not for today," Moreno said at an event where he appeared alongside Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy seems like a strong contender, given his breakout success as a pro-Trump voice in politics, even if his presidential run was unsuccessful. The 39-year-old businessman represents the new focus of the GOP, and it's adherence to the Make America Great Again agenda.
"What’s happened in America, and what we’re going to fix, is the greatest demasculinization in US history. It starts with our economy. The first generation who will pay into systems like social security and not get paid out is actually sitting in front of me today," Ramaswamy said.
One person close to the matter believes Vivek is simply "going to be" the replacement for Vance. "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 person said.
Timken's name is also at the top of the list as a possible replacement. She is the former chair for the Ohio Republican Party and, according to The Hill, a party insider said she would be attractive to DeWin as a "bridge builder."
However, like Ramaswamy, Timken has yet to prove her electoral chops as she placed fifth in the primary where Vance became the GOP's nominee. While this may be a concern for the 2028 election, Timken is a safer choice who is more likely to get along with the establishment.
Unfortunately, one source close to the matter thinks that may be a liability for her. "Jane makes all the sense in the world. … But that’s also why she maybe won’t get it," one operative said.
"She makes sense as the favorite on paper," the source added. Others said to be on DeWine's list include Ohio's GOP Rep. Mike Carey, Attorney General Dave Yost, and the state's Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy.
It's unclear who DeWine will choose, but the decision will be important for the party's future. At least the modern Republican Party has no shortage of strong candidates who will support Trump's agenda.
