Cleveland According to three Republicans with knowledge of the process, Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted has become a late and strong candidate to succeed Vice President-elect JD Vance in the Senate on Friday.
When Vance steps down from his Senate position, which must happen before he and President-elect Donald Trump take office on January 20, Gov. Mike DeWine will name a replacement.
Whether Husted would accept an appointment to serve the final two years of Vance’s term—which would need a special election in 2026—is still up in the air. However, other Republican insiders think that if Husted wants the position, he can get it.
According to someone with knowledge of the talks, Husted can serve in this manner if he so chooses.
Husted, 57, has always wanted to be governor and has declined to run for the Senate in past elections. In addition, he has been hard at work planning a campaign to replace DeWine, who is term-limited, in two years.
When questioned directly about the Senate seat and his discussions with Trump over his political future, Husted texted NBC News, saying he had nothing to say on the subject.
DeWine and Husted met with Trump last month at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to two people informed on the discussions. According to one of the insiders, Husted was keen for Trump’s support in the anticipated crowded Republican gubernatorial race.
Trump has appointed billionaire Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to oversee a government efficiency task force. This development would be a preemptive strike against Ramaswamy, the former GOP presidential candidate.
Many people in Ohio view Ramaswamy as a potential candidate for statewide office in the future. Other GOP candidates for governor in 2016 include Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and state Treasurer Robert Sprague, neither of whom has said that a Husted run would change their plans.
Trump made no promises to Husted, according to the two persons briefed on the Mar-a-Lago conversation, which was originally reported by Cleveland’s ABC affiliate WEWS Channel 5. They also indicated that the Senate appointment was addressed. Trump’s blessing is crucial because DeWine has stated that he wants the candidate he chooses for Vance’s Senate seat to be able to prevail in a close primary.
A representative for DeWine’s office, Dan Tierney, told NBC News that DeWine did indeed visit Mar-a-Lago last month, but he would not provide any information on the governor’s plans during that visit. Regarding Husted’s chances of being appointed to the Senate, Tierney remained silent as well.
According to two people familiar with the talks, DeWine is giving serious consideration to a number of Republicans for the Vance seat, including Husted, state Rep. Jay Edwards, and former state GOP chair Jane Timken. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who lost his seat last autumn, has not ruled out competing for it in the special election that will take place next year.
Since running together in 2018, DeWine and Husted have maintained a close alliance. Husted agreed to run for lieutenant governor on DeWine’s ticket, although he still intended to run for governor that year. Additionally, Husted has a tight relationship with Ramaswamy, who served on the board of the InnovateOhio agency, which Husted leads, and gave him informal advice throughout the pandemic.
However, DeWine has very little political capital in the Trump environment. In the primary for Ohio’s second Senate seat last year, the governor supported Bernie Moreno, who was backed by Trump. DeWine was labeled a Republican in name only, or RINO, by Trump and his supporters.
After winning the primary with ease, Moreno ousted Brown. He started work on Friday.
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