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CLEVELAND — Vice President-elect JD Vance will resign his Senate seat at midnight Thursday, clearing the way for his Jan. 20 swearing-in alongside President-elect Donald Trump.
The Ohio Republican notified Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who will choose his successor, of his plans in a Thursday afternoon letter.
“To the people of Ohio, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate,” Vance, who has served in the chamber for two years, said in a statement shared first with NBC News. “When I was elected to this office, I promised to never forget where I came from, and I’ve made sure to live by that promise every single day.”
Vance added that voters had issued “an undeniable mandate to put America first, both at home and abroad” and pledged to work with Trump to “enact his agenda” over the next four years.
The “Hillbilly Elegy” author and former venture capitalist emerged as a political player in Ohio three years ago when then-Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican, announced his retirement. Vance entered a crowded GOP primary filled with better-known and better-funded candidates but rode a Trump endorsement to victory.
Now, at 40, he will be the third-youngest vice president in history — behind John Breckinridge (36 years old upon taking office in 1857) and Richard Nixon (40 years and 11 days in 1953).
DeWine, a Republican, will choose a replacement who will serve at least until a 2026 special election to determine who will fill the remaining two years of Vance’s term.
DeWine’s lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, has emerged as the leading candidate for the appointment but has not decided if he wants the job.
Other Republicans on the short list include former Ohio GOP chair Jane Timken, state Rep. Jay Edwards and state Treasurer Robert Sprague. DeWine and Husted met with Trump last month at his Mar-a-Lago resort, but sources told NBC News the president-elect made no commitments to Husted, who amid the Senate speculation has been preparing a campaign to succeed the term-limited DeWine as governor.
“I’m not ready to make an announcement yet, but the announcement will be coming soon,” DeWine said during a Wednesday news conference with Husted at the Ohio Statehouse.
At the same news conference, Husted told reporters that he is “considering all of the options.”
Hayley Carducci, a Husted spokesperson, said Thursday that the lieutenant governor had no additional comment. DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney also offered no update on the imminent Senate vacancy but confirmed that DeWine will attend an event with Trump and other GOP governors Thursday night at Mar-a-Lago.
Henry J. Gomez is a senior national political reporter for NBC News
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