Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted (R) will become a new member of the U.S. Senate after Gov. Mike DeWine (R) elected him to fill Vice President-elect J.D. Vance's seat on Friday. It becomes.
dewine made an announcement After significant speculation and deliberation by “numerous people,” including former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Husted said at a news conference that he plans to get to work immediately and will run in a special election in 2026 to serve out the remainder of Vance's term.
“I am honored to be appointed to the United States Senate on behalf of the people of Ohio,” Husted said.
Husted may be a relative newcomer on the national stage, but he has extensive experience in Ohio politics. Vance also had a moment on the national stage when he formally nominated him as vice president at the Republican National Convention in July.
He began his political career in the Ohio State Legislature, eventually becoming one of the youngest people ever to serve as speaker.
He briefly served in the state Senate before being elected Ohio Secretary of State in 2010. He was re-elected in 2014 and initially sought to run for governor in 2018, but abandoned his bid to run for lieutenant governor as DeWine's candidate for lieutenant governor.
Mr. DeWine and Mr. Husted won narrowly in 2018, but easily won re-election in 2022.
DeWine said Friday that his appointment decision was difficult, saying he wanted someone who knows the state well, understands the interplay between the federal and state governments, and who will be a “main force” in the Senate. . He also said he wants his pick to have the “skill set” and “determination” to run again and again.
Vance's successor, who announced his resignation last week, can only serve as governor through 2026, when he must run in a special election. Candidates will then need to run for a full term again in 2028.
“There were many people that I thought were very qualified to represent the state of Ohio in the United States Senate, but as you can see, my conclusion is that the person best suited to serve in the United States Senate is: “For the last six years, there's someone who I've had a close relationship with and who I work with almost every day, and that's Lt. Governor Jon Husted,” DeWine said.
Husted said he looks forward to working with President-elect Trump, Vance and the Senate Republican majority to fight inflation, eliminate illegal immigration and advance “conservative values.” As a senator, he said he wants to push for the return of power from the federal government to the states, especially in education, workforce and social programs.
“I know the state of Ohio well and will fight for it as a U.S. senator,” he said.
Husted said he specifically wants to influence the role of technology in people's lives.
Before Husted was appointed to the Senate, it was speculated that he was aiming to run for governor in 2026 to replace DeWine, who is term-limited. But Mr Husted said his appointment to the Senate was an opportunity he “couldn't afford to pass up.”
Husted said he doesn't know exactly when he will be sworn in, but that he has been talking with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and “the sooner the better.”
Husted is married to his wife, Tina, and they have three children.
