Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance will vacate his Senate seat on January 20 when he assumes the role of vice president, leaving Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to appoint a temporary replacement until a special election is held in 2026. Ohio solidly backed President-elect Donald Trump in the 2020 and 2024 elections after trending red for the past three cycles, handing him an 11-point victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Additionally, longtime Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown lost his re-election bid to Republican Bernie Moreno, giving the GOP control of both Senate seats in the state.
With Vance’s seat now opening, several prominent Republicans are being considered as potential appointees. Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose is considered a leading contender among Republicans to replace J.D. Vance in the Senate. LaRose gained attention over the past year for spearheading efforts to update Ohio’s voter rolls ahead of the 2024 election, including the removal of hundreds of non-citizens. LaRose has served as Secretary of State since 2019 and previously held a seat in the Ohio State Senate. In 2024, he ran for the U.S. Senate but was defeated by Bernie Moreno in the Republican primary, the Daily Wire reported.
Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, who has held his position since 2019, is a prominent figure in the state’s political landscape. Before becoming lieutenant governor, he served as Ohio Secretary of State from 2011 to 2019 and as Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2005 to 2009. Husted has been a strong advocate for election security, emphasizing the importance of making Ohio a state where it is “both easy to vote and hard to cheat.” During his tenure as secretary of state, he implemented reforms to standardize early voting hours across the state, replacing the previous system that allowed county boards of elections to set their own schedules.
Husted appears more likely to run for governor than for the Senate in 2026, and he has already received DeWine’s endorsement for the position. “Based on my six years working with him, he will be a great governor,” DeWine said earlier this month.
Former Congressman Jim Renacci, a Republican and past rival of Governor Mike DeWine, is considered an unlikely choice for an appointment to replace J.D. Vance but could potentially campaign in the 2026 special election. Renacci challenged DeWine in the 2022 gubernatorial race, frequently criticizing the governor, but lost by a decisive 20-point margin in the Republican primary.
In 2018, Renacci ran for the U.S. Senate, winning the Republican primary but losing to Democrat Sherrod Brown in the general election. Before his political career, Renacci was a successful businessman, owning several car dealerships in the Columbus area. During his tenure in Congress, he served on the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Budget Committee, the DW reported.
Republican State Senator Matt Dolan has twice pursued a U.S. Senate seat in recent years, falling short in the Republican primaries in 2022 and 2024. Dolan is the son of Larry Dolan, owner of the Cleveland Guardians (formerly the Cleveland Indians) of Major League Baseball, and was granted a partial stake in the franchise in 2000.
In addition to his political career, Dolan is a partner at the law firm Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan and serves as vice president of 7th Avenue Properties, managing various businesses and real estate holdings. Dolan may have an advantage in seeking DeWine’s appointment to J.D. Vance’s Senate seat. During the 2024 Senate race, DeWine endorsed Dolan, while Republican Bernie Moreno, who ultimately won the election, received the backing of Trump.
Republican Congressman Dave Joyce is currently serving his sixth term in the U.S. House, having first been elected in 2012. Before his time in Congress, Joyce worked as a public defender and later served as the prosecutor for Geauga County, Ohio, which is located east of Cleveland. Earlier this year, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) appointed Joyce to serve on the task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump. Joyce said he would “work diligently to uncover the facts, demand accountability, and ensure these security failures are prevented from happening in the future.”
Attorney and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken is reportedly a leading contender for Governor Mike DeWine’s appointment to the U.S. Senate, according to ohio.news. Timken led the Ohio GOP from 2017 to 2021 before running for Senate in 2022. Despite securing the endorsement of outgoing Senator Rob Portman, she placed fifth in the Republican primary.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.