Cleveland In order to be sworn in alongside President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, Vice President-elect JD Vance resigned his Senate position at midnight on Thursday.
In a letter Thursday afternoon, Vance, R-Ohio, informed Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who will select his replacement, of his intentions.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to the people of Ohio for allowing me to serve as your representative in the US Senate. Vance, a two-year member of the chamber, stated in a statement that was initially obtained by NBC News. I vowed to never forget my roots when I was elected to this office, and I have made it a point to uphold that pledge each and every day.
Vance went on to say that people had unquestionably voted to prioritize America both domestically and internationally and had promised to cooperate with Trump in order to carry out his plan during the ensuing four years.
Three years ago, when Republican Sen. Rob Portman announced his retirement, Vance, the author of Hillbilly Elegy and a former venture investor, became a prominent figure in Ohio politics. Vance entered a crowded GOP primary with more well-known and well-funded contenders, but he won thanks to a Trump support.
He will now be 40 years old, making him the third-youngest vice president in history, behind Richard Nixon (40 years and 11 days in 1953) and John Breckinridge (36 years old when he assumed office in 1857).
To decide who will complete the final two years of Vance’s term, Republican DeWine will select a successor who will hold office at least until a special election in 2026.
Although Jon Husted, DeWine’s lieutenant governor, has become the front-runner, he has not made up his mind about accepting the position.
State Treasurer Robert Sprague, state Representative Jay Edwards, and former Ohio GOP chair Jane Timken are among the other Republicans on the short list. Last month, DeWine and Husted met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, but according to sources who spoke to NBC News, Trump did not make any promises to Husted, who has been putting together a campaign to replace term-limited Governor DeWine in the midst of Senate rumors.
At a press conference with Husted on Wednesday at the Ohio Statehouse, DeWine stated, “I’m not ready to make an announcement yet, but the announcement will be coming soon.”
During the press conference, Husted informed reporters that he is weighing all of his choices.
A representative for Husted, Hayley Carducci, stated on Thursday that Husted had nothing else to say.
At a gathering with Trump and other Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday night, DeWine spoke to reporters about the Senate vacancy.
We have undoubtedly been working on this for a while, and DeWine stated that she will likely make an announcement the following week.
DeWine refused to discuss specifics of their conversations when asked what Husted might be considering in regards to the prospect of an appointment.
“I’m not going to get into that tonight,” he replied.