Ohio Sen. JD Vance became the vice president-elect just one week ago, and there’s already a spirited campaign to replace him in the Senate.
But the candidates need only convince one person that they’re right for the job: Gov. Mike DeWine.
DeWine will pick someone to serve with Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno for the next two years, and that person must run for office in 2026 if he or she wants to keep the job. The winner of the November 2026 election will fill out the remainder of Vance’s first term, which ends in 2028.
The rumor mill has been lively, to say the least. Potential contenders include former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, Congressman Mike Carey, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan.
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was floating out there until yesterday, when President-elect Donald Trump tapped him to help lead a new initiative to slash government funding . And he wasn’t the only one eyeing a job in the Trump administration: LaRose, who lost to Moreno in the March Senate primary, is also interested in the top spot at a cybersecurity agency, Politico reported .