Ohio Gov. DeWine Announces Replacement For Vance In US Senate

Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance is about to be sworn in as the next vice president of the United States, leaving a vacancy from his state in the U.S. Senate.

But that was rectified on Friday by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) when he announced that his lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, will be appointed by him to take Vance’s place.

“There were many people who I considered very qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate to represent the State of Ohio, but I came to the conclusion that the best person to serve is a person who has been close to me for the last six years – a person who I work with almost daily –  and that is Lt. Governor Jon Husted,” the governor said in a press release. “I have worked with him, I know he is knowledgeable, I know his heart, I know what he cares about, and I know his skills. All of that tells me he is the right person for the job.”

“I know Ohio well, and I will fight for Ohio as a U.S. senator,” Husted added.”I look forward to working with President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the Republican majority who have an America First agenda to fight inflation, stop illegal immigration, and advance conservative values.”

“My time here at the Statehouse has been a true joy, but representing Ohio in the U.S. Senate is an amazing opportunity,” he noted further. “It is something that an adopted kid who grew up on County Road J in Montpelier, Ohio, could have never imagined.”

There was speculation that former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was a contender for the job, but it now appears that he will attempt to become the state’s next governor.

DeWine is term-limited after serving two consecutive four-year stints. Just the News reported that Ramaswamy is expected to announce his bid soon.

“Vivek’s base plan remains [the] same: to get accomplishments at DOGE and then announce a run for governor shortly,” an Ohio operative familiar with Ramaswamy’s thinking who requested anonymity to speak more freely, told Fox News on Friday.

Before the Senate announcement, Husted had long planned to run for governor in 2026 to succeed DeWine, but those plans appear to have changed now.

The 39-year-old Ramaswamy, who is a native of Ohio, launched his presidential campaign in February 2023 and has risen from a long-shot candidate to a serious contender for the Republican nomination.

Ramaswamy campaigned on what he referred to as an “America First 2.0” agenda and was one of Trump’s staunchest supporters among the field of rivals, praising Trump as the “most successful president in our century.” Notably, he refrained from ever directly criticizing now-President-elect Donald Trump during his campaign.

Ohio was once a solid battleground state but has shifted decidedly red over the past decade, with Republicans picking up most statewide offices and dominating the congressional delegation.

Meanwhile, on her way out of the door, Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be continuing her bitter, petty behavior following her significant loss to President-elect Donald Trump.

CBS News reported Tuesday that the outgoing vice president has so far refused to invite Vance and his wife, Usha, to the Naval Observatory, the official vice presidential residence, as is customary. The outlet cited “multiple Democratic and Republican sources” for its report.

In November, Usha Vance, through intermediaries, contacted the staff of the current occupants of the home—Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff—to inquire about childproofing needs for the residence. Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel Vance are all under the age of eight, CBS News noted.

Initially, a political appointee for Harris declined to answer the questions. However, communication later occurred between the Vance team and Navy aides responsible for overseeing the residence.