President-elect Donald Trump has privately encouraged Vivek Ramaswamy to consider an appointment to the US Senate seat recently vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance if offered the position by Ohio Gov.

Gov. Mike DeWine must pick someone to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance, who resigned his Senate seat last week.

The Ohio-based biotech entrepreneur has emerged as a leading contender to succeed Vice President-elect JD Vance in the U.S. Senate.

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, a person with direct knowledge of the biotech entrepreneur's wishes told The Associated Press.

President-elect Donald Trump has encouraged billionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to consider filling Ohio’s vacant Senate seat should the post be offered to him, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private deliberations.

Vivek Ramaswamy is in discussions about filling Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Senate seat in Ohio, two people briefed on the process told NBC News.