COLUMBUS — Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is Gov. Mike DeWine’s choice to replace Vice President-elect J.D. Vance in the U.S. Senate.
The governor made the announcement during a Friday afternoon press conference.
“I came to the conclusion, as you see, that the person who is best suited to be the United States senator is a person who has been close to me for the last six years, a person who daily I work with, and that is Lt. Governor Jon Husted,” DeWine said.
“Every major decision I have made the last six years as governor of the state of Ohio, Jon Husted has played a part in that decision,” DeWine said.
“It should not be a shock that Jon and I might disagree on some things. But even in the cases where he saw things differently, my decision was informed, was helped by his input.
“This is a serious, serious time in our history,” DeWine said. “Serious times demand serious people.”
Under Ohio law, DeWine had authority to pick Vance’s replacement, but that person will have to run to keep the seat in 2026, and then again in 2028 when the term expires.
The development will mean Ohio will have two new U.S. senators after Husted joins Sen. Bernie Moreno, who defeated Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November.
President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated on Monday as he and Vance, elected in 2022 to the U.S. Senate from Ohio, assume the top administrative seats in the federal government.
Vance resigned from Congress a week ago.
The 57-year-old Husted, who had been positioning to run for governor in 2026, will now serve in the Senate until 2026 and said he will seek election to the seat during a special election.
Husted is a former Ohio House speaker and two-term secretary of state.
“I’m ready to get started, because I don’t have an office, I don’t have staff, I don’t have a desk. I got a lot of work to do. We’re going to be leaving to go get that done real soon,” Husted said.
DeWine praised Husted’s track record on economic development, which includes a commitment from Intel to invest more than $20 billion in manufacturing plants in the state.
“In my mind, my mission has always been clear: to ensure Ohioans have access to good jobs, quality job training and the opportunity to achieve their vision,” Husted said in accepting the appointment.
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), whose district includes Richland and Ashland counties, posted on X in support of Husted.
“Jon Husted is an outstanding choice to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate. He’s a proven conservative leader with a strong record of fighting for Ohioans, and his deep understanding of the issues facing our state and our country will serve us well in Washington,” Jordan posted.
“Jon has been a key ally and friend in advancing policies that promote economic growth, strengthen our schools, and defend American values. We look forward to working with him in the 119th Congress,” he wrote.
The Ohio Democratic Party criticized the choice in an email after the announcement, linking him to the House Bill 6/FirstEnergy scandal.
“Ohioans deserve a Senator who truly wants to work for them, not just further his own career while conveniently running away from the biggest corruption scandal in Ohio history,” party Chair Elizabeth Walters said.
“While Governor DeWine may have handed Husted a literal get out of jail free card, Ohioans won’t tolerate a career politician with a penchant for corruption & scandal,” Walters said.
“It’s already clear we can’t trust Husted. Over the next two years, Democrats will work tirelessly to hold Husted accountable and will be contesting this competitive seat in the midterm election,” she said.
The decision opens up the governor’s race in Ohio in 2026. The term-limited DeWine, 78, cannot seek a third term in the seat.
Another potential replacement for Vance, business entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, may now run for Ohio governor in 2026.
Ramaswamy ran for president in the Republican Party primary in 2024, but later stepped aside and supported Trump.
According to the Associated Press, as Ramaswamy also eyed a bid for governor, he had initially pulled himself out of contention for the Senate seat.
That was due in part to the work that he and Elon Musk were assigned by Trump on federal government efficiency. But Ramaswamy visited DeWine at the governor’s residence last week and expressed interest in the Senate appointment, according to the AP.