Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine faces a crowded field of candidates vying for Vice President-elect J.D. Vance's seat in the Senate, but the latest polls show some candidates have an advantage. It is shown that he will go into battle.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is leading his fellow candidates in a hypothetical Republican primary for Vance's seat conducted by the WPA Information Bureau. LaRose's closest competitor was Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who was supported by 10 percent of respondents, compared to 17 percent for LaRose.
Another candidate for the seat, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, received 9% support. Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Carey (R-Ohio) is actively pushing for Vance's role, but polls show he has only 2% support.
Mehek Cook, a Republican lawyer who represented Trump's 2024 campaign, received 1% support in the poll.
Vance is a “catbird seat” for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, but these Republicans could also run.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is one of the leading candidates to replace J.D. Vance in the Senate. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)
However, a large number of voters (39%) are still undecided about the race.
WPA conducted a telephone interview and online survey of 1,028 likely voters across Ohio between November 17th and 20th. The poll touts a margin of error of 3.1%.
LaRose is also at the forefront of narrowing down candidates who have received support from President-elect Trump in the past. LaRose received 30% support under these conditions, and his closest competitor was former Ohio Congressman Jim Lenasi.
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Carey had received Trump's support before the election, with 7% support.
Representative Mike Carey (R-Ohio) is pushing for the appointment of J.D. Vance in the Senate to replace him. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance have remained silent so far about filling the vacant Senate seat, and their support is likely to be a deciding factor in the race.
A new candidate emerges in a crowded field to replace Vance in the Ohio Senate seat.
DeWine confirmed to local media on Tuesday that he is considering who to fill the seat, saying he wants to have a candidate ready in case Vance formally resigns.
“We want guys who are going to fight every day for Ohio State,” he said.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will appoint J.D. Vance's successor in the Senate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
WPA's poll concluded that “Mr. LaRose is clearly the most likely Republican choice” to replace Mr. Vance and defeat his Democratic challenger in the next election.
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As Ohio's secretary of state, LaRose led efforts to combat illegal voting. His office removed hundreds of thousands of fraudulent voter registrations before Election Day, including hundreds of non-citizen registrations. He also sued President Biden's administration in October in an effort to force the administration to cooperate in cleaning up voter rolls.
