Ohio Republican U.S. Senator J.D. Vance was announced Monday as his vice presidential candidate, but the race to replace him in the U.S. Senate is already underway if he and former President Donald Trump win the election.
According to multiple strategists and politicians, the most popular names popping up around Columbus’ Capital Square are state Sen. Matt Dolan, Ohio RNC committeewoman Jane Timken and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — but Gov. Mike DeWine has the final say.
Vance, 39, an author and Trump supporter, was elected to Congress in 2022.
“Sometimes it goes pretty straight, but sometimes you see a lot of political gamesmanship,” said Jonathan Entin, a professor of constitutional law at Case Western Reserve University.
As long as Vance is running, he does not have to resign from his position, Entin explained, but if he wins, the governor will have to appoint his successor.
“Either way, there is often a lot of political intrigue, especially if many people are interested in the position,” the professor added.
Appointees, he said, typically fall into three categories: a former candidate, a sitting member of Congress and a state elected official.
Republican strategist Bob Clegg said the governor has a number of options before him.
“The governor will pick someone who will do a good job, has good, conservative views and will be able to represent the majority of Ohioans,” Clegg said.
Even if DeWine has a preference, the strategist says the most essential thing the governor will have to consider is the possibility of reelection.
“Someone who can win and hold this seat in both the primary and the general election,” he said.
To keep the position, that person would have to run in a 2026 midterm election, but Entin suggested DeWine could appoint a replacement.
“Sometimes the governor decides, ‘Let’s elect someone who is not controversial and has no long-term political ambitions so we can get through this period,'” Entin said.
DeWine is trying to focus on the upcoming election, but “he’s started thinking about it,” he told our team at the RNC.
“But we really need to focus on electing Bernie Moreno, three members of the Ohio Supreme Court, there are a lot of congressional races, a lot of things going on,” DeWine said. “We’ll put that off until later, until November.”
Some have already begun throwing their hats into the ring, but DeWine is avoiding attack.
“I’ve heard a lot of names, and we have a lot of good people who could serve in the United States Senate,” he said. “I don’t have a short list because I don’t have a long list yet — so we’ll work on that over time.”
DeWine would be open to Trump’s opinions, noting that he had a “good working relationship” when he was president, just as he has a good one with President Joe Biden.
“It is important for the governor of Ohio to have a relationship with the president of the United States that will be beneficial to Ohio,” he said.
DeWine has broken with Trump on many policy issues and has a nearly opposite personality. Yet DeWine is supporting the presidential candidate in the race to reclaim the White House.
At the end of 2023 in one on one with DeWine was asked if Trump, who had become president again, would be a threat to democracy. He did not answer.
Let’s move on to the names
This list is not exhaustive and reflects only the views of two dozen Ohio political insiders in various offices and professions. Individuals are likely to come out of hiding to express interest in the governor.
Previous Candidates
Matt Dolan
The most obvious choice would be state Sen. Matt Dolan, according to Clegg and more than a dozen other politicians interviewed.
The governor endorsed Dolan in the recent Republican primary for U.S. Senate, but he finished second to Bernie Moreno.
“Senator Dolan and Governor DeWine have wisely said we need to focus on winning in November. They are absolutely right,” Dolan spokesman Chris Maloney said.
Jane Timken
Jane Timken is another popular name. She is a Trump ally who ran in 2022 and is currently a member of the Ohio RNC committee.
She did not respond to a request for comment.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswami, who has never run for the US Senate before, was also nominated by more than a dozen insiders.
Ramaswamy’s team told us he was unable to conduct an interview. But he told Politico he was interested.
“If I was asked to serve, I would seriously consider it,” he said.
Frank LaRose
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has been mentioned as a possibility. He ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2024 and finished third. But Vance and Donald Trump Jr. have routinely criticized and insulted LaRose on social media. It’s unclear whether that could have influenced DeWine’s decision.
His team did not respond to a request for comment.
Bernie Moreno if he loses in 2024
Bernie Moreno is the Republican Party candidate who will face U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown in November. If Moreno loses, political insiders predict he could be nominated.
“This is a load of crap created by Sherrod Brown’s aides who know he’s headed for failure. The only person who’s going to be looking for a job in November is Sherrod Brown,” said Moreno spokesman Reagan McCarthy.
Members of Congress serving
Jim Jordan
Congressman Jim Jordan has been a member of Congress since 2007, representing areas around Lima and Mansfield. He is a Trump ally and chairs the Judiciary Committee.
“Mr. Jordan is focused on his work on the Judiciary Committee and getting President Trump and Vice President Vance elected,” the spokesman said.
Dave Joyce
Congressman Dave Joyce has been a member of Congress since 2013, representing Northeast Ohio. He is a moderate, and his views are similar to DeWine’s. He chairs the Homeland Security Subcommittee.
A source familiar with the matter said Joyce’s name had come up, but he had held off on talks until after the RNC convention out of respect for Trump and Vance.
Others
Other politicians mentioned include Congressmen Mike Carey and Warren Davidson.
Elected at the state level
Dave Yost
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost was named as most of the state officials. However, the attorney general seems more interested in continuing his campaign for governor.
“We are fortunate to have several candidates who would make excellent U.S. senators. Dave has always felt a calling to executive office and is actively raising money to run for governor in 2026. But right now, he is focused on flipping the Senate by electing Bernie Moreno and sending Donald Trump and J.D. Vance to the White House,” Yost campaign spokeswoman Amy Natoce said.
Jon Husted
While he is not mentioned as often as Yost, Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is mentioned. Husted is expected to run against Yost for governor.
“The Lt. Governor is focused on electing President Trump, JD Vance and Bernie Moreno in November. Any speculation about JD Vance’s Senate seat is a distraction that only benefits Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown,” Husted spokeswoman Hayley Carducci said.
Intra-party struggle
Entin believes there could be some negotiation if the governor wants to assist his LG. To be clear, DeWine has not endorsed anyone for governor yet.
“If he thinks Yost would be interested in the Senate seat, he might be willing to go in that direction to try to eliminate at least one other candidate from the gubernatorial field,” Entin said.
He added that it wouldn’t surprise him if the governor was trying to find a way to minimize the risk of a fierce intraparty fight.
With that in mind, appointing Husted could provide LG with greater visibility during his 2026 campaign for governor.
State legislators?
Some other senior state lawmakers are interested in the seat, but such appointments don’t usually happen, according to Clegg. Name recognition is essential, and most state lawmakers don’t have it.
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