Who wants to replace VP-elect JD Vance in the Senate? Ohio congressman, treasurer eye job
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Sen. JD Vance will be inaugurated as vice president in six weeks, and several Republicans are eager to take his place representing the Buckeye State in the U.S. Senate.
But Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, still isn't offering any hints about who's on the list.
"It's a work in progress," DeWine said Thursday.
The governor must appoint someone to serve in the Senate with Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno until a special election can be held in November 2026. The winner will fill out the rest of Vance's term, which ends in 2028. DeWine previously said he wants to pick someone who can win primaries and general elections and will work hard for Ohio.
Here's what you need to know about the Republicans who are eyeing the job.
U.S. Rep. Mike Carey
Carey was first elected to represent Ohio's 15th Congressional District in 2021 with the support of President-elect Donald Trump and his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski. During his time in office, Carey has focused on veterans' issues and legislation that aims to assist caregivers and extend tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel. With the help of Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, he also revived an initiative to promote civility in Congress.
Carey told the Paste BN Ohio Bureau that bipartisanship is a hallmark of his career − something he believes should continue even though Republicans will control the federal government.
"There are those people that come to Washington to pontificate, and those that come to Washington to legislate," he said. "I view myself very much in the mold of (former U.S. Sen.) Rob Portman, who was able to get a lot of things done."
It's unclear whether DeWine harbors concerns about selecting Carey or another member of Congress, which could whittle down an already slim GOP majority in the U.S. House.
State Sen. Matt Dolan
Dolan will exit the state Legislature this year after two terms in the state Senate and six years in the Ohio House. He ran in the 2024 and 2022 Republican U.S. Senate primaries but fell short both times. DeWine and Portman endorsed him over Moreno in the March primary.
During both of his campaigns, Dolan occupied the non-MAGA lane and drew criticism from some Trump-aligned Republicans who viewed him as an establishment candidate. The president-elect has attacked Dolan over his family's decision to rename the Cleveland Guardians baseball team.
"I don't know that I have a bad relationship with President Trump," Dolan said. "Him and I have never spoken to each other. I can only imagine what people might say about me. But I think when he does a deep dive on me, he's going to see somebody who gets things done, and that's what we need to have happen in Washington."
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
LaRose has served as Ohio's top election official since 2019. During that time, he established the office's first Public Integrity Division and shepherded Ohio's exit from a multi-state database that helps election officials maintain accurate voter rolls. He's also called for policy changes in Ohio and federally to require voters to prove citizenship when they register.
LaRose placed third behind Moreno and Dolan in the March Senate primary.
"Secretary LaRose has always answered the call of duty," spokesman Dan Lusheck said. "He's been a soldier, a senator and a statewide officeholder, so he has a lot to offer Ohioans in the U.S. Senate if the governor asks him to serve there. For now, he's focused on the current mission, which is wrapping up one of the smoothest and most successful presidential elections in state history and preparing for the next year."
Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague
Sprague was first elected as state treasurer in 2018 and served in the Ohio House prior to that. In an interview, he said his legislative record of cutting taxes and business regulations will help "restore some fiscal sanity" in Washington, D.C. As treasurer, he updated a program that provides reduced-interest loans to farmers and developed an initiative to help parents who want to adopt a child.
Sprague said he's interested in exploring a run for governor in 2026 but first wants to see how the Senate appointment shakes out.
"There’s not going to be any daylight between me and the president-elect, Donald Trump," Sprague said. "You're not going to run to the right of me. That's a good thing for a primary election. In the general election, I win general elections because I do a good job for the people of the state of Ohio, and I have good ideas."
Jane Timken
Timken led the Ohio Republican Party for four years after ousting ex-chairman Matt Borges, an ally of former Gov. John Kasich who's now in prison. After initially supporting Kasich for president in 2016, Timken became a staunch Trump supporter and raised money for the president-elect. This year, she served as Ohio's national committeewoman for the Republican National Committee.
Despite her connections with Trump and the Ohio GOP, Timken was unsuccessful when she ran for Senate in 2022. She came in fifth out of seven Republicans − beating out two longshot candidates − after securing Portman's support. Trump endorsed Vance in that primary.
"I would be honored to serve the people of Ohio in the United States Senate," Timken told the statehouse bureau. "It's entirely up to Gov. DeWine to make his decision as to who would be the best person to serve. We'll await his decision."
Statehouse bureau reporter Erin Glynn contributed.
Haley BeMiller covers state government and politics for the Paste BN Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.