U.S. Senator, Ohio, JD Vance will become the next vice president, creating a vacancy in the U.S. Senate.
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate Vance defeated Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in the presidential election called Wednesday morning by The Associated Press. Vance will have to resign from the Senate before taking the oath of office as vice president on Inauguration Day January 20.
Now to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will choose a Republican to fill Vance’s vacant Senate seat until a special election in 2026. Whoever appoints DeWine must run in the 2026 special election if they want to keep their seat.
Vance is currently serving his first term in the U.S. Senate after being elected over Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan in 2022. Whoever wins the 2026 special election will serve the rest of the term, which expires in 2028.
DeWine hasn’t given any hints yet about who he’s considering replacing Vance in the Senate, but there are a few potential names that circulated, including pSenator Matt Dolan, Governor Jon Husted, Republican National Committee Ohio committee member Jane Timken, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Sec. Ohio. state Frank LaRose, among others.
Republican Bernie Moreno defeated incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown on Tuesday in a hotly contested Senate race. Some are speculating whether Brown might run for a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio in 2026.
Follow the OCJ reporter Megan Henry on X
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
