With former Sen. JD Vance's (R-OH) vice presidential win, a new political figure will have the opportunity to step into the spotlight and represent Ohio in Washington. The race to fill the open seat has become an anticipated contest, with potential candidates from both major parties vying for the chance to succeed Vance.
Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted recently paid a visit to President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home with as rumors speculate he is the top candidate to fill the position.
According to state law, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) must appoint a Republican to fill Vance’s Senate seat until a special election is held in November 2026 to determine who will serve the remainder of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028. The winner of that election can then choose to run again that year for a new six-year term.
Other candidates DeWine is considering for the position include Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH), who has been endorsed by Trump three times.
Carey said tht Trump "needs somebody in the Senate that will make sure that we get his agenda through.” Similarly, the president-elect said that Vance’s replacement in the senate needs to be ready to begin implementing his agenda on day one of his new term.
The Ohio representative said he would be honored to serve as a senator under Trump’s administration, echoing remarks by the incoming president.
“I think you need to have somebody that's able to start on Day One, hit the ground running as a U.S. senator," Carey said. "You don't want to have somebody coming in from the great state of Ohio who has to be on the job training. And so we've had a track record of success here in the, you know, in the 15th Congressional District. I can easily parlay that into the Senate."
DeWine must choose a new senate appointment soon, as the new Congress will be sworn in on Jan. 3. He said that whoever he chooses to fill the seat will need to be a “workhorse" and is "qualified and ready to earn the trust of Ohio voters for another term."