CNN
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Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is the frontrunner to replace Vice President-elect J.D. Vance in the U.S. Senate, according to two Republican officials familiar with the deliberations.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) is now up to appointing a replacement for Vance after his first term in the Senate resigns, with a Jan. 20 meeting between him and President-elect Donald Trump. must be appointed before taking the oath of office.
However, two Republican officials stressed that it is unclear whether Husted, who has long been eyeing the Ohio governor’s mansion, will accept the appointment. In the 2018 election cycle, Husted ran for governor against DeWine, but later resigned to become DeWine’s running mate.
DeWine and Husted visited Mar-a-Lago last month to meet with Trump, a person familiar with the matter confirmed. It is not clear how seriously the appointment was discussed during that visit. The meeting with Trump was first reported by WEWS. A spokesperson for Mr. DeWine did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the trip.
Ohio Republicans close to Mr. Husted noted that the lieutenant governor has long desired the governorship over the possibility of becoming a senator. But fellow Republicans noted that an appointment to the Senate seat could make the job more attractive, although it would initially spare him a contentious primary. The Columbus Dispatch and NBC News first reported Husted’s status as a top Senate candidate.
The rise in Husted’s stock comes after names such as state Rep. Jay Edwards and former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken have surfaced in recent weeks. But Republican officials with knowledge of the deliberations say Mr. DeWine is unlikely to be able to navigate a divided Republican primary and a crowded Senate re-election campaign, including the general election, even though the state has tilted toward Republicans in recent years. He said he believes Mr. Husted is better.
Mr. DeWine’s pick would serve in the Senate until 2026, after which he would have to run in a special election to fill the final two years of Mr. Vance’s term, which runs through 2028. He will need to run again in 2028 to complete his six-year term. . Mr. DeWine’s decision to take the Senate seat could disrupt another election in the Buckeye State, a race to replace the term-limited governor in 2026, which could be crowded with Republican candidates.
