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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced Jon Husted, the lieutenant governor of Ohio, as his pick to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance in the U.S. Senate.
Newsweek reached out to Husted's offices and President-elect Donald Trump's transition team for comment by email on Friday afternoon. DeWine's office referred to Friday's press conference when asked for comment.
Why It Matters
Vance resigned his seat this month in anticipation of his inauguration alongside Trump on January 20, which will start the second Trump administration. He leaves the Senate at a time when it has a slim majority of just three seats, which makes his replacement vital to ensure the Senate can advance Trump's agenda.
The replacement will hold the seat until a special election can be held in 2026 along with that year's midterm elections, and the winner will serve the remainder of Vance's term. Vance won his seat in 2022, so his reelection would occur in 2028, when his replacement will have to run again.
What To Know
DeWine held a press conference in the early afternoon on Friday to announce that he would hand his lieutenant governor, Husted, the vacant Senate seat. The lieutenant governor is a position that is elected separately from the state's governor.
The Associated Press had reported earlier on Friday that DeWine was likely to advance Husted as his pick, citing two people familiar with the matter speaking on the condition of anonymity.
DeWine highlighted Husted's economic experience as a key factor in choosing him for the Senate seat. Husted said he accepted the seat with the "full intention of running for it."
Husted told reporters that he learned of the appointment on Thursday, and he spoke with Trump on Friday morning ahead of the official announcement.
What Office Has Jon Husted Held?
DeWine touted Husted, 57, as someone who has the skillset to hold the seat and run for it at the same time. Husted will have to start campaigning for the 2026 special election soon, and even after winning it would have to start campaigning for reelection just two years later.
Husted noted this during a Q&A after DeWine's announcement, saying, "I think I started it this morning, making some of the calls I made. So yeah, we'll get to that," in reference to next year's campaign.
Husted is a local boy in every sense, having gone to the University of Dayton for his bachelor's and master's degrees. He worked in the Dayton-Area Chamber of Commerce until seeking office in the state Legislature.
Husted first won election to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2000, going on to serve for eight years in that role before winning election in 2008 to become the Ohio state senator from the 6th District, which includes the city of Dayton and two-thirds of Montgomery County.
During his time in the state's House of Representatives, he also served as the speaker for four years.
Following two years in the Ohio state Senate, he served in then-Governor John Kasich's government as the secretary of state, a role he held until he decided to seek the governor's office. He ultimately dropped out of the race despite proving a serious contender and instead ran on a joint ticket with DeWine to serve as his lieutenant governor.
Jon Husted's Personal Life
Husted married Tina Zwayer in 2006. The couple has three children: son Alex and daughters Kylie and Katie.
Husted became a grandfather in December 2023 when Alex's wife, Kathleen, gave birth to Margaret Ann Husted.
What People Are Saying
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, during Friday's press conference: "There were many people who I considered very qualified to serve in the United States Senate to represent the state of Ohio, but 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 almost daily I work with. And that is Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted."
Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, during the press conference: "It is my honor to accept the appointment to serve the people of the state of Ohio and the U.S. Senate. I...appreciate that you have placed so much trust in me, first of all, as a running mate, and then as lieutenant governor and now as your appointee to the Senate. To my friends and supporters and the people across Ohio, we have worked to make Ohio great again, and I look forward to working with President Trump [and] JD Vance to make America great again."
What Happens Next
Husted will have to move to Washington, D.C., to join the Senate and begin work immediately following Trump's inauguration.
DeWine said he will take the weekend and wait until after Trump's inauguration to start looking for Husted's replacement as lieutenant governor. The governor will nominate a lieutenant governor, who will need to secure a majority of the vote in the state Senate and House.
Update 1/17/25, 4:37 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and comment.
About the writer
Peter Aitken is a Newsweek Politics Editor based in New York. His focus is domestic U.S. politics, but he has ... Read more