Ever since President-elect Donald Trump and his running mate, Vice President-elect JD Vance won the 2024 presidential election, folks have wondered who might be appointed to take the latter’s spot in the U.S. Senate. Vance hails from Ohio, so it’s up to Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to choose his replacement. There’s mounting speculation that fellow Ohio resident and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is one of two names in the final running for the position. The other is Jane Timken, an attorney with a Harvard education and chair of the Ohio GOP is also in the running and is slightly favored by DeWine.
That right there immediately tells me the best person for the job is Ramaswamy. As an Ohio native myself, I can tell you that DeWine is firmly in the establishment camp within the Republican Party and it’s likely if there’s a MAGA candidate and an establishment candidate for a position, he would naturally gravitate toward the establishment one. However, in reality, the president-elect is going to exert a tremendous amount of influence when it comes to Ramaswamy, so the chances are good he’ll end up being Vance’s replacement. Personally, I like that idea.
When a U.S. Senate seat is vacated, as is the case with J.D. Vance departing to serve as Vice President, each state follows its own protocols, outlined in state law, for filling the vacancy. In Ohio, the governor is empowered to appoint an interim senator. This appointment serves as a stopgap measure until a special election can be organized to allow voters to select a permanent successor.
Under Ohio law, the governor is vested with the power to choose a temporary successor when a Senate seat becomes vacant. This appointment, while temporary, carries with it significant responsibility and influence, bridging the gap until the electorate has its say in a special election. The period of interim representation is not merely a placeholder phase but a critical window during which substantial legislative decisions and policy advancements can occur.
“She’s [Timken] a good compromise between MAGA and DeWine in my opinion,” a Republican insider who is involved with Ohio’s senatorial transitions, told The NY Post. The primary concern for the Ohio GOP is the potential challenge from Democrat Sherrod Brown in the special election needed to fill Vance’s seat until 2028. The selection must not only align with a conservative agenda on Capitol Hill but also possess the charisma to compete against Brown in a statewide contest, particularly without Trump leading the ticket.
As stated up above, while Timken is considered conservative she has shown many tendencies to be a bridge over the divide between moderates and conservatives within the GOP. There’s no denying she has appeal. Timken has also demonstrated she aligns with traditional Republican values, but still maintains some independence in her views on the issues, which gives her a wide base of support with Republican voters.
“It’s going to be Vivek,” said another GOP insider at Miami University in Ohio to 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.” Despite Governor DeWine not aligning with the MAGA movement, the influence of the former and future president is expected to be decisive, the source added.
“While Ramaswamy lacks traditional political experience, his entrepreneurial success and engagement with conservative media provide him with a different kind of platform. His rhetoric and positions tend to align closely with those of Trump, advocating for strong nationalistic policies and a sharp critique of what he sees as overreach by the federal government,” the report concluded.
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