COLUMBUS – Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will replace Vice President-elect JD Vance in the U.S. Senate, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday, throwing a wrench in Ohio’s 2026 race for governor.
Husted’s appointment ends weeks of speculation about who will join Sen. Bernie Moreno, who took the oath of office earlier this month after defeating former Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. Husted will serve in the Senate through 2026 and must run that year if he wants to keep the seat.
Per Ohio law, the winner of the November 2026 election will fill out the remainder of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028.
“I believe and know that Jon is prepared to be United States senator from the state of Ohio,” DeWine said. “The U.S. Senate rewards hard workers. It rewards those who master the facts. It rewards those who focus on getting things done.”
Husted was long seen as the front runner for the Senate seat, but he wrestled with whether to accept the appointment or pursue a bid to replace term-limited DeWine as governor. His appointment ensures he’ll avoid a bruising Republican primary for governor that could include former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Attorney General Dave Yost and Treasurer Robert Sprague.
Husted said he changed his mind “probably 100 times,” calling it a choice between “the two best things that you can do in the state of Ohio.”
“In the end, it’s the opportunity to go right now to Washington − not two years from now, but now − to go work with President Trump and a Republican majority, to do the things that I think will make America a better country,” Husted said. “And once you really look at it like that, it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”
It’s unclear when Husted will officially be sworn in as senator. He and his family do not plan to relocate to Washington, D.C., and will travel back and forth from Ohio as needed.
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Ramaswamy emerged as a late contender for the Senate seat after withdrawing his name from consideration two months ago. President-elect Donald tapped Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk, but he recently urged the Ohio entrepreneur to accept the Senate appointment if offered.
Ramaswamy is now expected to proceed with his original plan, according to a source familiar with his thinking: Tackle the task before him at DOGE and announce a run for governor in 2026. The source said he’s expected to launch his campaign “shortly.”
DeWine called Trump Friday and said the president-elect was “gracious” and spoke positively about Husted. The lieutenant governor said he also talked to Trump, Vance and Moreno.
“I called Jon Husted to congratulate him on his appointment to the United States Senate,” Vance posted on X. “Look forward to working with both Jon and Bernie Moreno to Make America Great Again!”
Who is Jon Husted?
Husted became lieutenant governor in 2019. He joined forces with DeWine in the 2018 election after a brief run against him, and the pair defeated Democrat Richard Cordray amid national losses for Republicans. Prior to that, Husted served as secretary of state, Ohio House speaker and state senator.
Husted, who was adopted by his parents, became emotional Friday as he discussed his work on foster care, adoption and protecting children from online predators.
During his tenure as DeWine’s No. 2, Husted championed economic development and helped persuade Intel to build a $28 billion semiconductor plant in central Ohio. He also enjoyed a moment in the national spotlight when he gave the vice-presidential nomination speech for Vance at last year’s Republican National Convention.
DeWine will need to appoint someone to serve as lieutenant governor for the next two years. He declined to say Friday who he’s considering for the role.
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.
This story was updated to add a video.
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