‘I Know His Heart’: Ohio Governor Announces Vice President JD Vance’s Senate Replacement

When President Donald Trump announced U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) as his running mate, it meant that his victory would create a vacancy in the upper chamber of Congress.

It was up to GOP Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to select a replacement to serve out the remainder of Vance’s term, and he announced this week that he had reached his decision.

According to Fox News:

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday named Lt. Gov. Jon Husted as his pick to fill the Senate vacancy left by Vice President-elect JD Vance ahead of his inauguration on Monday.

The announcement was made during a press conference in Ohio.

Husted was first elected to be lieutenant governor in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. He previously served in several other capacities, including as Ohio secretary of state, the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives and as an Ohio state senator.

He is married to his wife Tina and has three children; Alex, Katie and Kylie.

“I interviewed a large number of people. We heard from a large number of people. There were many people who I considered very qualified to serve in the United States Senate to represent the state of Ohio,” DeWine said.

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“But, I came to the conclusion, as you see, that the person who is best suited to be the United States senator is a person who has been close to me for the last six years. Personally, almost daily, I work with — and that is Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted,” the governor revealed.

“I have worked with him. I have seen him. I know his knowledge of Ohio. I know his heart. I know what he cares about. I know his skills. And all of that tells me that he is the right person to do this.”

Husted accepted the appointment of DeWine during the same press conference.

Ohio @govmikedewine announces Lt. Gov. Jon Husted as the replacement for Vice President-elect JD Vance to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate. pic.twitter.com/lPlvwfk2Hy

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 17, 2025

The announcement drew some approving posts from Husted’s supporters:

Congratulations, Ohio LG @JonHusted, on your appointment to the United States Senate! We're confident you're up to the task of filling the shoes of Vice President JD Vance! Thanks for joining @StrongsvilleGOP for your last political event as LG! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/sCgiRdfQ65

— Strongsville GOP (@StrongsvilleGOP) January 17, 2025

We applaud Gov. DeWine's appointment of Lt. Gov. Jon Husted as Vice President-elect JD Vance's U.S. Senate replacement. pic.twitter.com/nQgZ9pgsT9

— Ohio Chamber (@OhioChamber) January 17, 2025

The Hill provided additional details about Husted’s political background:

“It is my honor to accept the appointment to serve the people of Ohio in the U.S. Senate,” Husted said.

While Husted may be a relatively new face on the national scene, he has extensive experience in Ohio politics. He did have a moment on the national stage in July at the Republican National Convention when he formally nominated Vance for vice president.

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He began his political career in the Ohio state House, eventually becoming one of the youngest to ever serve as Speaker.

He served a brief stint in the state Senate before being elected as Ohio secretary of state in 2010. He was reelected in 2014 and initially sought the governorship in 2018 but dropped his bid to run for lieutenant governor as the running mate for DeWine.

DeWine and Husted narrowly won in 2018 but comfortably cruised to reelection in 2022.

Here’s a clip of Husted’s remarks after accepting DeWine’s appointment:

Governor Mike DeWine selects Lt. Gov Jon Husted to fill JD Vance's Senate seat
Details: https://t.co/R8wlqdfLS9 pic.twitter.com/pZamv4eKYg

— FOX 28 Columbus (@fox28columbus) January 17, 2025