Ohio’s governor will have a Senate seat to fill if Republicans recapture the White House in November.
On Monday, former President Donald Trump tapped Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, to join him on the ballot this fall, solidifying a strong conservative ticket to challenge the most radical presidential administration to date.
“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The announcement came less than 48 hours after a failed assassination attempt on Trump — which, paired with the alarming decline of the 81-year-old incumbent, underscores the importance of vice-presidential picks.
“President Trump has made a great choice and Senator Vance will be a great partner as they campaign together this fall,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement.
Vance, however, was far from DeWine’s pick for the open Senate seat vacated by Rob Portman in 2022.
DeWine refrained from making an endorsement in the 2022 Senate primary while facing an inner-party challenge of his own from former GOP Rep. Jim Renacci. But in this year’s Republican Senate contest, DeWine backed the candidate who was the polar opposite of the Middletown native in the form of state Sen. Matt Dolan, the establishment favorite whom voters rejected twice for the U.S. Senate nomination.
There are many directions things could go depending on the outcome in November, none of which will materialize if a Trump-Vance ticket loses, keeping Vance in the upper chamber.
Republicans in Ohio are currently trying to beat three-term Democrat incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, a top target this fall, with businessman Bernie Moreno, who was nominated in March. Just as Vance defeated a crowded slate of candidates in the Republican primary with Trump’s endorsement in 2022, Moreno similarly emerged triumphant in a competitive race with Trump’s support four months ago. Both campaigns prominently featured Dolan as the neocon rival. He championed endless arms for Ukraine, but GOP primary voters favored candidates who opposed foreign aid. In other words, DeWine’s pick for senator was rejected not once but twice by Ohio Republicans who’ve made their preference clear.
In the event that Trump and Vance win, the Ohio governor must choose a Senate replacement who fits the mold of the candidate state Republicans nominated in 2022 and 2024. If Trump wins and Moreno loses, the governor would be wise to appoint Moreno to finish the remainder of Vance’s term. Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey made a similar move in 2018 when he selected Martha McSally to finish the final two years of John McCain’s term after she lost the general election to replace Jeff Flake.
If Moreno wins along with a Republican sweep of the presidency in November, DeWine has a star-studded panel of contenders who could feasibly replace Vance without betraying the confidence of Republican voters. Rep. Jim Jordan, who has led as chairman of the Judiciary Committee this Congress, remains one of the House’s most influential opponents of additional aid to Ukraine. The lawmaker from Ohio has become one of the most popular voices on the right by backing Trump’s agenda while unraveling some of the worst abuses of the administrative state with the establishment of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
Another candidate who could conceivably replace Vance is Columbus-area biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who confirmed following the vice-presidential announcement that he would consider the Senate job if offered. Ramaswamy is also widely considered a top contender for a position in Trump’s potential second-term cabinet.
Whomever DeWine might pick, Ohio voters have made clear it can’t be Dolan.
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