WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Sen. JD Vance of Ohio leaves the Senate to become Vice President in January, he will leave behind an empty Senate seat. Gov. DeWine, tasked with appointing someone to fill the seat, is weighing a number of contenders jockeying for the position.

The nominee will face a special election in 2026 to fill the remaining years of Vance’s term and another election for a full term in 2028. DeWine is expected to choose a consensus candidate who appeals to both the moderate and Trump wings of the Republican Party.

“It has to be someone who could win a primary. It has to be somebody who could win a general election, and then two years later, do it all again,” DeWine said. “So this is not for the fainthearted. This is not for someone who just wants a seat.”

What You Need To Know

  • JD Vance's election as Vice President means he will vacate his Senate seat

  • Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is tasked with appointing someone to fill the seat until 2026

  • DeWine is expected to choose a consensus candidate who appeals to both the moderate and Trump wings of the Republican Party

Mike Carey

Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, is a former coal lobbyist who was just reelected to a second full term in the House representing the 15th District, just west of Cleveland. Carey has strong relationships with DeWine and President-elect Donald Trump.

“I’ve known the governor since I was 12 years old. And I’ve communicated that I would be honored to serve as a senator for the state of Ohio,” Carey told Spectrum News. “I love the state.”

Weighing against Carey are the three House members already nominated for Trump’s cabinet—Reps. Elise Stefanik for U.N. ambassador, Mike Waltz for national security adviser and Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. With an already slim margin for the GOP, pulling another Republican member could cost their House majority.

Frank LaRose

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose spent time on the campaign trail with Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno, often peppering parts of his own stump speech into praise for Moreno.

“I was the only Secretary of State in America to get Donald Trump’s endorsement in 2022. I think he’s got pretty high standards for Secretaries of State,” he said at an event for Moreno on Nov. 2.

LaRose said in a statement,

“I’m always ready to answer the call of duty, but I’m also focused right now on doing the job Ohioans hired me to do. We delivered another secure, accurate and accessible election for Ohio voters, and that work continues… There’s a lot to be done. I know Governor DeWine has an important decision to make, and I’m confident he’ll do what’s in the best interest of Ohio.”

However, LaRose struggled to fundraise when he ran unsuccessfully in the Republican GOP Senate primary in March, especially against two wealthy candidates who funded their own campaigns. He ultimately came in third.

Dave Yost

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost also campaigned for Moreno leading up to the election.

Yost has long been eyeing a different seat, however: that of governor of Ohio.

Yost’s campaign spokesperson Amy Noce wrote in a statement,

“We’re blessed to have a number of candidates who would make a great U.S. senator alongside Senator-elect Bernie Moreno. Attorney General Yost has always felt called to an executive office, and is actively raising money for a 2026 run for governor.”

However, DeWine has said he would support his second-in-command, Ohio Lt. Gov. John Husted, to succeed him in office. Naming Yost to the Senate seat would thin out the Republican primary gubernatorial race for Husted.

Matt Dolan

State Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, is ideologically close to DeWine. The governor endorsed Doland for Senate in the March primary.

However, his moderate Republican stances could risk alienating Trump and his supporters. That could hurt Dolan’s primary chances in a state that Trump just won by 11 points.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran against Trump in the 2024 primary, has since become a loyalist. Originally from the Cincinnati area, Ramaswamy’s name has come up for the open Senate seat.

This week, though, Trump tapped Ramaswamy to co-lead the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” tasked with recommending cuts to the federal budget. Ramaswamy then posted on X,

“And yes, this means I’m withdrawing myself from consideration for the pending Senate appointment in Ohio. Whoever Governor DeWine appoints to JD’s seat has some big shoes to fill. I will help them however I can.”

Jane Timken

The former Ohio GOP Chair ran for Senate in 2022, eventually losing in the primary to Vance. However, she remains close with DeWine after running the state party during his first years as governor.