Votes are still being counted in some counties, but the overall picture for the 2024 election is clear and the results mean Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has an essential decision to make. J.D. Vance moves from U.S. senator to vice president-elect, leaving a vacancy that must be filled by DeWine.
Whoever he chooses will serve for the next two years, with the opportunity to defend his seat in the next federal election in 2026. And since Vance was elected in 2022, his successor would have to change his mind and do it all over again in 2028.
“It has to be someone who is willing to spend the next four years not only doing this job, but also running for office,” DeWine explained at a post-election conference hosted by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
AG Dave Yost, less than 24 hours ago: “I am the director. I have never been a legislator and I am not ready to retire from public service, but I cannot imagine going to Washington, D.C., and I would not accept this nomination.” https://t.co/fUEUyhrY2Q
— Sarah Donaldson (@SarahEDon) November 7, 2024
On the other hand, the position means DeWine’s appointee can enter the race with a bit of wind in his sails.
DeWine has essential strategic factors to consider. The Republican Party currently controls every statehouse in Ohio. However, in each case – governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, auditor and treasurer – politicians holding these positions have restricted terms. This means a wide range of vacancies and some experienced candidates who can justify their appointment to the fresh position.
This game of musical chairs could easily degenerate into an intra-party knife fight. DeWine’s election to the U.S. Senate could support prevent this from getting out of hand.
But it’s not clear if this will work. One potential winner, Attorney General Dave Yost, has already said he will decline the nomination. Yost is considering running for governor, as is Lt. Gov. Jon Husted.
With DeWine’s political career likely coming to an end, this is also one of his last opportunities to make his mark on Ohio politics. During the last U.S. Senate primary, the governor endorsed state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, over the eventual winner, U.S. Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno.
While DeWine has not yet given any indication of who he is considering to replace Vance in the Senate, there are some a few potential names that are circulating among strategists.
How the voivode sees the matter
At the Ohio House conference, DeWine declined to discuss the names but outlined the considerations that will guide his decision. Sam noted that with 12 years of experience in the U.S. Senate, he wants to appoint someone “who actually gets things done.”
DeWine also said he was not interested in a replacement facility.
“I want someone who will hold this position – hopefully for a long time,” DeWine said. “I think it’s in the state’s interest for them to do that.”
In addition to wanting to run more statewide campaigns, he’s interested in finding someone who can actually win these races.
“Someone who can win the primary,” DeWine described, “because he’s going to be facing a primary in two years. In less than that time, they will be in the primaries and they will also be someone who can win the general election.”
After two controversial Republican primary elections for the U.S. Senate, balancing all of these priorities can be tough. But even if the final decision is tough, DeWine said he won’t suffer for a lack of viable choices.
“Well, I got a lot of calls yesterday,” DeWine said with a smile. “Listen, we have great people in the state of Ohio who could serve very well in the United States Senate. So we just start thinking about it and see who would be the best person.
As for who he’s polling, DeWine said “certainly” Vance’s opinion on who should replace him matters.
“Honestly, I’ve been in touch with a lot of people, I’m not going to name names again,” DeWine said. “But I’m consulting with a lot of people who I know aren’t interested but who might have ideas about who should be.”
Although Yost has publicly stated that he is not interested, that message may not have reached the governor. When asked if anyone had withdrawn his name from the competition, he replied, “Well, I don’t know about it.”
“But I wouldn’t tell you anyway,” he joked.
What does Moreno want from his friend?
Hours after DeWine’s speech, Senator-elect Bernie Moreno took the stage and described how he wanted to promote Ohio companies in the Senate and gain the trust of voters who did not support him. He hopes whoever DeWine chooses will be a partner in this effort.
Like DeWine, Moreno said he had thoughts on who would be a good choice, but declined to go into details. He also emphasized that the final decision rests with the governor and that he and DeWine are “100% in agreement” on who should get the nod.
After what he called an “exhausting two years,” Moreno said finding an effective activist was very essential.
“It has to be someone who has a proven track record of doing the job,” he said. “If you’re too lazy to campaign, you’ll probably be too lazy to be an effective senator.”
He added that it’s essential that an appointee truly believes in Trump’s agenda, rather than someone who says he agrees with it “and then stabs us in the back in Washington.”
Moreno said he wanted to work with someone who is decent and works well with others – he mentioned that the job is not an executive role and will require a collaborative approach. Finally, Moreno hopes the governor will avoid “publicity seekers.”
“Because you have to be able to trust yourself,” he said, “and you can’t be someone who is always trying to make a name for yourself and looking for the next step.”
“It’s hard work,” Moreno added. “I mean, 11, 12 million people look at you and say, hey, I want you to represent me well.”
Follow the OCJ reporter Nick Evans on Twitter.
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