8 Possible Replacements Ohio Governor Could Appoint to Fill J.D. Vance’s Senate Seat

Ohio State Senator. JD Vance The new position of vice president-elect leaves open a seat in the Buckeye State Senate, where the state’s Republican governor will choose his replacement from a growing list of possible candidates.

State law dictates that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will select a Republican to fill Vance’s Senate seat until a special election is held in November 2026 to determine who will serve for the remainder of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028. The winner of that special election will then have to run again in 2028 to begin a new six-year term.

“If Donald Trump is elected, we will begin a process to look at people and talk to them,” DeWine said last week. “Some people have already contacted me. I have already met with some at their request.”

DeWine, widely considered part of the establishment wing of the Republican Party, will likely face pressure from Trump supporters to nominate a nominee in line with Trump’s agenda, while the more moderate wing of the party will likely nominate more bipartisan candidates.

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The list of potential replacements from President-elect Donald Trump’s world includes former presidential candidate and Ohio native Vivek Ramaswamy, who previously swam interest in the position.

“Donald Trump has built a coalition of outsiders and independent thinkers who will transform the federal government and revitalize our state and country,” Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “The best way to determine who and how they are influencing change will not be found in the press.”

State Senator Matt Dolan, who ran in the primary against Bernie Moreno and is an ally of Gov. DeWine, has also been tapped to fill the seat.

J.D. Vance vows to ‘never stop fighting’ for Americans after winning election

Dolan, whose family owns Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians, has served in the Ohio Senate since 2017 and previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives for five years.

Jane Timken, an Ohio lawyer who served as chair of the Ohio Republican Party from 2017 to 2021, is another potential replacement for Vance.

“Ohio is proving to the nation the strength and caliber of leaders we have,” Ohio attorney and political commentator Mehek Cook told Fox News Digital.

“Governor DeWine has a historic opportunity to make lasting change by appointing a highly qualified woman who will not only lift up our state, but will consistently fight for its people,” Jane Timken. As the first female chair of the Republican Party in Ohio, she has demonstrated unwavering leadership, resilience and a commitment to justice, never compromising her values ​​in the process.”

Other possible candidates include Ohio Republican Gov. Frank LaRose, who also ran against Moreno in the primary, along with state Attorney General Dave Yost.

“I’m always ready to answer the call of duty, but right now I’m also focused on doing the job that the people of Ohio hired me to do,” LaRose told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “We delivered another secure, accurate and accessible election for Ohio voters, and that work continues. We need to certify the results expeditiously to ensure the Electoral College meets next month.”

“We are still working with our election officials to process absentee ballots and help voters correct provisional ballots. We have a potential recount in one congressional district. We are also keeping the pressure on the Biden administration to back out of the vote. we need federal citizenship data to ensure the accuracy of Ohio’s voter rolls. I know Governor DeWine has an important decision to make, and I am confident he will do what is in Ohio’s best interest. “

Ohio Republican Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted is also believed to be involved. A source familiar with Ohio politics told Fox News Digital that Husted is the most formidable Republican candidate in the state after delivering on key issues and that he is focused on the governorship but has said publicly he intends to remain in public office as long as it is in demand.

Jost, who WCMH-TV reports. wouldn’t take the job, he told Fox News Digital in an interview this summer that he thought Husted would be a “great choice.”

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Two Republicans currently serving in Congress, Mike Carey and Warren Davidson, are also considered options.

Carey, who has strong relationships with both Trump and DeWine, reached out to DeWine shortly after Vance was elected, a source familiar with the discussions said this summer.

“While Congressman Carey is honored to be mentioned in this role, his primary focus is serving the people of Ohio’s Fifteenth Congressional District,” Carey communications director Teresa Braid told Fox News Digital.

DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney told Fox News Digital that the timing of the governor’s announcement will depend on when Vance officially vacates his Senate seat and that the governor plans to appoint a “workhorse.”

Tierney said DeWine will look for someone who is “qualified and ready to win the trust of Ohio voters for the next term.”

Tierney pointed to the fact that DeWine himself served in the Senate for 12 years and hopes the appointee will be willing to do the “hard work” of advancing legislation and “reaching across the aisle.”

Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.