Who will DeWine name to replace JD Vance?

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will need to name a replacement for Vice President-elect JD Vance in the U.S. Senate very soon.

Current Ohio Senator JD Vance will officially become vice president on Inauguration Day on January 20th. DeWine said he would wait until Vance resigns from the Senate before announcing who he is naming to replace him.

Longtime Ohio Republican strategist Terry Casey explained the significance of DeWine’s election.

“He’s looking for someone who can win both the primary and the fall election and who can serve well as a senator because he was a U.S. senator for 12 years and knows how important that position is to him State of Ohio can be and also what it takes to be a good senator,” Casey said.

There are now reports that Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted could be a leading candidate.

“Well, he’s obviously thinking about it because the lieutenant governor knows there are options for both of them to run for governor, but this Senate appointment could be very important,” Casey said. “And I think it was last Friday when he and his wife were in DC for Bernie Moreno’s swearing-in and got a little taste of the DC scene.”

Husted’s office did not comment on the process, saying it was the governor’s decision.

10TV reached out to the governor’s press secretary late Wednesday morning. He said there was no information on when the governor would announce his decision.

Once DeWine names his Senate candidate, the successor will hold that seat until a special election in 2026. The winning candidate in this election will then take office in December 2026.

The winner does not automatically win a regular six-year term in the Senate. They would have to run again in 2028, when Vance’s original Senate term would have expired.

Newly elected Republican Senator Bernie Moreno was sworn into office last week. He will be Ohio’s senior senator. Vance’s successor will be the junior senator.