COLUMBUS, Ohio — Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will resign his seat in the U.S. Senate effective Friday.
Vance announced his intentions Thursday in a letter to Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who will be selecting his successor.
“As I prepare to assume the role of Vice President of the United States, I would like to express that it has been an honor and privilege to serve the people of Ohio in the Senate for the past two years,” Vance said in the article. I wrote it. letter.
In a separate statement released by Vance, the outgoing senator gave a nod to his troubled roots growing up in Appalachia.
“When I was elected to this office, I made a promise to never forget where I came from, and I have tried to keep that promise every day,” Vance said.
Mr. DeWine said he would appoint Mr. Vance once the seat vacates. DeWine was attending a gubernatorial event with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday night and is unlikely to announce any changes before Friday, a spokesperson for DeWine said.
Mr. DeWine has the sole responsibility of appointing Mr. Vance's successor, who will be elected to a six-year term in 2022. A long list of Republicans from the state have expressed interest in the seat, including Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Finance Secretary Robert Sprague. , U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, state Sen. Matt Dolan, former Republican state chairwoman Jane Timken, and Republican attorney and strategist Mehek Cook.
But speculation has recently focused on Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who accompanied DeWine to Mar-a-Lago to meet with President-elect Donald Trump.
DeWine refused to even hint at the topic of that discussion when asked by reporters during the bill signing at the state Capitol on Wednesday.
“We are not ready to announce it yet, but it will be announced soon,” he said.
Husted, who was also present, said only: “We're looking at all options. That's all I want to say.”
Husted is considered a front-runner to run for governor in 2026, after spending years positioning himself for governor. He is a former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, state senator, and two-term secretary of state.
No matter who DeWine appoints, his term will run until December 2026, but he will have to run again for the remainder of his term in November 2026.
