April 10, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivers his 2024 State of the State address in the Ohio House chambers at the Ohio Statehouse
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is remaining tight-lipped about who is considering filling Ohio’s soon-to-be vacant U.S. Senate seat.
DeWine told reporters Thursday morning that he does not yet know who will replace Ohio Sen. JD Vance if he becomes vice president. Vance will be inaugurated on January 20 and has yet to announce when he will resign from the Senate.
“I interviewed some people, I talked to some people,” DeWine said. “A lot of people want to be senators, an astonishing number. People have been in touch with us about that, a lot of people have opinions about the entire state. We are in the process of making a decision and we will have it by the time JD Vance steps down.”
DeWine said he has spoken with President-elect Donald Trump and Vance about the Senate seat, but said he would not release information about their conversations.
Both Ohio senators will be new to the U.S. Senate. Republican political newcomer Bernie Moreno will unseat Senator Sherrod Brown in last month’s elections. Whoever DeWine appoints will have to run in the 2026 special election if they want to keep their Senate seat, something he is taking into account. “Whoever I appoint has to be able to win a primary in less than two years and then win a general election, and then come back two years later and win a general election,” DeWine said. “So it has to be someone who I think will win a primary and then win the general election.”
Some people are speculating whether Brown is eyeing Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat in 2026.
DeWine, who served as a U.S. senator from 1995 to 2007, said he was looking for someone who can advocate for Ohio.
“Any senator can have a big impact in many ways, but one way is certainly advocating for their state,” he said. “… It is an important criterion: someone who gets Ohio, who gets us.”
While DeWine is keeping his list of potential candidates close to the vest, there are several potential names floating around, including Sen. Matt Dolan, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, Republican National Committee committee member Jane Timken of Ohio, among others and Secretary of State Frank LaRose of Ohio.
Republicans recently gained a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, a factor DeWine said he is considering when it comes to making a decision that could not bode well for Carey.
“It’s the reality of where we are now after the president took a few away,” DeWine said.
Two prominent Ohio Republicans, who were initially seen as potential Senate candidates, will not get the job.
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was originally considered a potential pick for the Senate, but Trump tapped him and billionaire Elon Musk to help lead his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a nongovernmental task force designed to to fire federal workers and eliminate programs. and undermine federal regulations.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has publicly said he will run for governor in 2026, and even recently posted a video on the social media JDJ platform X referencing his campaign for governor.
Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky.
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