By Bo Erickson and Nathan Layne
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine on Friday nominated his state’s lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, to fill Vice President-elect JD Vance’s former U.S. Senate seat.
The move was one of several as members of the party’s narrow majority in Congress prepare to join President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration on Monday.
Husted, 57, is a former speaker of the state House of Representatives who was also considered the leading candidate to succeed the term-limited DeWine.
“We’ve worked to make Ohio great again and I look forward to working with President Trump, JD Vance to make America great again,” Husted said at a news conference.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday nominated Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio if the Senate confirms him as secretary of state.
The two appointments will preserve the 53-47 Republican majority in the Senate.
The party’s slim majority in the House of Representatives will shrink to 217-214 by April if the Senate confirms the nominations of two members to cabinet posts, as House seats can only be filled through special elections.
That will complicate Republican efforts to quickly pass Trump’s agenda of tax cuts, fossil fuel cuts and immigration enforcement.
Vance, who has served as Ohio’s U.S. senator since January 2023, resigned last week before the inauguration. It is unclear when Husted will be sworn in to the Senate.
Husted will fill Vance’s seat until a special election in November 2026, with the right to complete a six-year term by January 2029.
RAMASWAMY IS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR OF OHIO
Separately, businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy plans to run in 2026 to succeed DeWine, according to a source familiar with his intentions.
Ohio-born Ramaswamy serves alongside Tesla (NASDAQ: ) Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk on an outside body called the Department of Government Efficiency charged with finding cuts in the state’s $6.8 trillion budget.
Ramaswamy plans to continue on the task force, the source said.
