Ramaswamy interested in Ohio Senate seat, Trump Cabinet

Former presidential candidate and pharmaceutical entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy says he’s he interested in filling the Ohio Senate seat occupied by Sen. JD Vance (R) or serving in a future Trump administration Cabinet position.

“I would strongly consider it if I were asked to serve,” he said of the Senate seat that would be vacated if former President Trump returned to the White House with Vance as his vice president.

“But I would also want to have a serious conversation with President Trump about the other ways I could have an impact on the country. My top passion is taking on the regulatory state,” he said.

Ramaswamy made his comments in an interview with Hallie Jackson of NBC News NOW at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Ramaswamy hasn’t discussed the issue yet with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a moderate Republican who would pick a temporary replacement if Vance vacates the seat to serve in a Trump administration.

Vance was elected in 2022 and, if he leaves the Senate, a special election would be held in 2026 to fill the last two years of his first term.

“I have not discussed this with Gov. DeWine but, you know, I look forward to evaluating what the future holds in store. I would strongly consider it if asked,” Ramaswamy told NBC.

“But I think there are a lot of other ways to serve this country. And you know, this isn’t about what comes after victory. It is about what our path to victory is in November.”

Ramaswamy said he has also discussed with Trump the possibility of serving in his future Cabinet, if he is elected in November.

“We’ve talked about a lot of different possibilities, President Trump and I. I mean, we talk regularly. I spoke to him, actually most recently, it was after midnight on the night that he suffered that injury, tragedy, assassination attempt on Saturday night,” he said.

“So, we‘ve talked about different ideas, potentially, in a Cabinet or other ways of driving change,” he added.