CINCINNATI — Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has expressed interest in the Ohio U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance, two people with direct knowledge of the biotech entrepreneur’s wishes told The Associated Press.

The 39-year-old from Cincinnati had been weighing a campaign for Ohio governor in 2026 and hoped to build his policy portfolio as partner to billionaire Elon Musk leading a non-governmental effort to cut federal government spending, regulations and personnel.

Conversations with Trump About Senate Seat

But in recent weeks, Ramaswamy had multiple conversations with President-elect Donald Trump about filling the Senate seat, according to one of the people. That person said Trump approached Ramaswamy to consider taking the seat as someone familiar with Trump’s goal of slashing the federal bureaucracy.

The people with direct knowledge of Ramaswamy’s interest in the Senate seat spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose a private discussion.

Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Governor’s Appointment and Future Election

Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine will appoint the successor to Vance, who was elected to the Senate in 2022 but is scheduled to be sworn in as Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s vice president on Monday.

The person DeWine appoints will serve until December 2026. They would need to run again for the remainder of the term in November 2026.

“Neither Gov. DeWine nor our office has commented on any possible candidates for the pending appointment,” Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said in a statement.

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Ramaswamy’s Political Journey

Ramaswamy waged an outsider bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination last year but suspended his campaign after a fourth-place finish in Iowa’s leadoff precinct caucuses. Ramaswamy endorsed Trump, and became a regular surrogate for the campaign, headlining fundraisers in battleground states.

Ramaswamy had expressed interest in the Senate seat after the election, but originally took his name out of consideration as he was asked to help lead the Department of Government Efficiency, an outside effort with Musk to drastically reduce the size and cost of government.

A spokesperson for Ramaswamy did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Ramaswamy’s renewed interest in the seat was first reported by The Washington Post.