Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Friday appointed the state’s Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted to replace Vice President-elect J.D. Vance in his former Senate seat. Mr. Husted, 57, is a former speaker of the state House of Representatives and was seen as a potential candidate to replace Mr. DeWine, who is term-limited.
His appointment will keep the Republican Senate majority at 53-47 when Republican President-elect Donald Trump and Vance are sworn in on Monday. “I wanted a horse-drawn carriage,” DeWine said in announcing his decision. “Serious times require serious people.”
Vivek Ramaswami, a businessman and former Republican presidential candidate who was once considered a possible successor to Mr. Vance in the Senate, plans to run for governor of Ohio after Mr. DeWine’s term ends, according to people familiar with his plans. This was revealed by a person involved.
Mr. Ramaswamy was chosen by Mr. Trump to co-lead the proposed Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk and plans to continue in that job, the people said.
President Trump is returning to power in Washington, where his Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress, including a 219-215 vote in the House.
Vance, who had served in the Ohio Senate since January 2023, resigned last week ahead of his inauguration. It is unclear when Husted will become a senator. President Trump also nominated Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state and named Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Rubio if Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is confirmed by the Senate. .
President Trump’s move to coax some members into roles within his administration will temporarily complicate the House Republican majority. He appointed Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations and Congressman Michael Walz as national security adviser.
If Stefanik and Walz are confirmed for these roles and resign from the House, their seats will remain vacant until a special election is held to fill them in the spring, temporarily reducing Republican support in the House. It turns out. Mr. DeWine’s nomination will fill Mr. Vance’s seat until a special election in November 2026, which coincides with the midterm congressional elections, to qualify him to serve out the remaining six years of his Senate term, which ends in January 2029.
Republicans could face re-election of former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2026. He lost reelection to Ohio’s other Senate seat, Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, in November, but has not ruled out running again.
With President Trump’s support, Mr. Vance won an overwhelming victory in 2022, and Mr. Moreno won an overwhelming victory in 2024.
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