DeWine’s decision ends months of jockeying among top Ohio Republicans for Vance’s position, which he had held for less than two years. Vance resigned his Senate seat Jan. 10. Choosing Husted, who had been positioning to run for governor in 2026, potentially averts a divisive and expensive GOP primary for the governor's race.
The 57-year-old Husted, a former Ohio House speaker and two-term Ohio secretary of state, will serve until Dec. 15, 2026. A special election for the last two years of Vance’s six-year term will be held in November 2026.
Standing next to Husted, DeWine called him a trusted partner on key decisions and noted that his choice for the Senate would have to be determined enough to run statewide over the next several years to keep the seat.
“I have worked with him, I have seen him, I know his knowledge of Ohio,” DeWine said. “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 for this job.”
