Gov. Mike DeWine could announce his pick to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance in the U.S. Senate this afternoon.
DeWine is scheduled to hold a news conference at 1 p.m., but his office declined to provide further details about the topic of discussion. When asked about the appointment at an event Thursday, DeWine told reporters he would announce his decision “not too much later.”
Vance resigned his Ohio Senate seat last week. His replacement will serve in the Senate for two years and must run in the November 2026 election if he or she wants to keep the seat. The winner will fill out the remainder of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028.
Speculation about who DeWine will choose has run rampant. Sources have said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is the front runner, but he’s been weighing whether to accept the appointment or pursue a run for governor in 2026. DeWine recently met with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and President-elect Donald Trump has urged Ramaswamy to take the Senate seat if it’s offered. Ramaswamy lives in suburban Columbus and grew up in the Cincinnati area.
Trump tapped Ramaswamy to help lead the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, with Elon Musk. It’s unclear what would happen to Ramaswamy’s position with DOGE if he becomes a senator.
Other Republicans who expressed interest in the vacant Senate seat include former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Columbus, and Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
Haley BeMiller covers state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
