COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a certificate of appointment to the United States Senate on Sunday for Lt. Gov. Jon Husted.
Husted was announced Friday as the successor for Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. The 57-year-old Husted, a former Ohio House speaker and two-term Ohio secretary of state, would serve until Dec. 15, 2026. A special election will be held in November 2026.
Husted will assume the office of U.S. Senator upon being sworn in at a later date.
“I wanted someone who knew Ohio. I wanted someone who had a firm grasp and understanding of the complexity, diversity, and, frankly, the greatness of Ohio,” DeWine said during Friday’s press conference announcing Husted as his pick. “He is the right person for this job. In every major decision that I have made in the last six years as governor of the state of Ohio, Jon Husted has played a part in those decisions.”
Vance’s election as vice president in November opened up one of Ohio’s U.S. Senate seats for the third time in as many years, availing DeWine of a long list of people who had sought the seat and lost in 2022 and 2024.
By choosing Husted, meanwhile, DeWine may help avert a Republican faceoff for governor in 2026, when Husted and Attorney General Dave Yost were already positioned to run. However, the field stands to remain competitive.
DeWine made it clear ahead of time that he wanted the Republican he chose for the Senate to be well-positioned to defeat whoever the Democrats run in 2026 and then to run again full a full term in 2028. He called the ordeal “not for the faint-hearted.”
