Now that Donald Trump's VP has been chosen, the question is what will happen to Senator JD Vance's (R-OH) Senate seat if Trump wins the election.
According to reports, top Republicans are pushing for Vivek Ramaswamy to fill the seat.
Talking Points…
- JD Vance chosen as Trump's VP
- Push to put Ramaswamy in the seat
- Analysis
I have been pretty clear about my ideal choice for Trump since he launched his campaign. As far as I was concerned, Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) was the no-brainer choice. He could have helped Trump with the minority vote, but this was not about checking boxes. I genuinely respect Scott, and believe he also would have been able to help Trump with the moderate vote as well as provide a calming voice to counter Trump's brash tactics.
Vance changed everything after the East Palestine spill, relentlessly attacking the White House response, and he has been a fierce defender of Donald Trump ever since. He also happens to be friends with two voices that Donald Trump listens to: Donald Trump Jr. and Vivek Ramaswamy. When push came to shove, Vance was given the nod.
While I do not have any issues with Vance, my concern is and always has been that Vance is a former never-Trumper from the 2016 election, and his statements will provide a lot of ammunition for Democrats to use against Trump and Vance in the upcoming election. On the flip side, I love the fact that Trump is finally interjecting some youth into party leadership.
That brings us to who will get the appointment if Trump and Vance win the election. Vance started his term in 2023, so that seat will not go up for re-election until the 2028 race. Per Ohio law, the governor can appoint a replacement to serve once Vance vacates that seat. Ohio law states:
"The appointee shall hold office until the fifteenth day of December succeeding the next regular state election that occurs more than one hundred eighty days after the vacancy happens.
"At that next regular state election, a special election to fill the vacancy shall be held, provided, that when the unexpired term ends within one year immediately following the date of such regular state election, an election to fill the unexpired term shall not be held, and the appointment shall be for the unexpired term."
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) is already pushing for Ramaswamy to fill that seat, stating:
"I hope Vivek is Governor DeWine's choice. I mean, he'd be a great senator if he wants it."
Governor DeWine is not exactly a friend to the MAGA movement, so I am not sure he will be into this, but there are more reasons to take a breath in terms of Ramaswamy filling that seat.
I have never hidden my dislike of Ramaswamy, nor will I hide it here. This is not a personal issue but a moral one. Ramaswamy scammed people with a pump-and-dump scheme on stocks of companies and products he was deeply invested in. He touted medicines, drove up the price, and sold off his shares, and then, when the medicines did not come to fruition, the stocks tanked, leaving nothing but carnage in his wake.
The man is a snake oil salesman, a conman, but he is now deeply embedded with Trump and the MAGA movement. Some people can look past what he did, latching on to his ability to speak and present the MAGA agenda to the masses eloquently. And there is no denying the fact that Ramaswamy has that ability, a new Barack Obama, if you will. He is also very personable, making him easy to like if you do not know his past. I get the lure, I really do, but I do not believe he is the type of person we want representing us in office in any way, shape, or form.
I don't like people who take advantage of others for their own benefit. I surely do not want him in Trump's presidential administration if it can be avoided, and the same goes for the Senate. There are far better choices available than someone who is only out for his own personal gain, regardless of the words that come out of his mouth. I can tell you flat out I will NEVER support this man for office.
