One of the leading candidates to fill Vice President-elect JD Vance‘s Ohio Senate seat recently traveled to President-elect Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence as a decision from the state’s governor draws closer.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine traveled to Trump’s Florida home with fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who is believed to be a top candidate to replace Vance, in recent days, although the specifics of any conversation are unclear, News 5 Cleveland first reported, and Fox News Digital has confirmed.
State law dictates that DeWine will select a Republican to take Vance’s spot in the Senate until a special election is held in November 2026 to determine who will serve the rest of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028. The winner of that special election could then run again in 2028 in order to start a new six-year term.
Multiple sources told Fox News Digital that a final decision on the Senate appointment is expected in the next few weeks as the new Congress will be sworn in on Jan. 3.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will name the replacement for VP-elect JD Vance in the Senate (Getty Images)
DeWine’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The Governor’s spokesperson, Dan Tierney, told Fox News Digital last month that DeWine will be looking for a “workhorse” who is “qualified and ready to earn the trust of Ohio voters for another term.”
VANCE WILL LIKELY BE 2028 FRONT-RUNNER, BUT RNC CHAIR ‘EXCITED ABOUT THE BENCH THAT WE HAVE’
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted speaks during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2024. (Getty Images)
Fox News Digital previously reported that DeWine is considering, along with Husted, several candidates for Senate, including attorney Mehek Cooke, Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken, Rep. Mike Carey and others.
“Governor DeWine has a crucial decision ahead in selecting Ohio’s next Senator,” Cooke told Fox News Digital on Friday night. “If Jon is the workhorse he picks, he is the right choice.”
“He’s battle-tested, with decades of experience fighting for Ohioans and securing a stronger future for our state. If Jon is the pick, I’m 100% behind him—there’s too much at stake, and we need someone who will put Ohio first. It was an honor to interview with the Governor, and he knows my commitment is to…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at FOX News : Politics…