Husted, former Dayton-area lawmaker, sworn into U.S. Senate
Republican Jon Husted, a former Dayton-area state lawmaker and secretary of state who has served as Ohio lieutenant governor since 2018, officially took the oath Tuesday to join the United States Senate and fill a vacancy left by Vice President and fellow Ohioan JD Vance.
His oath finalizes a swift and drastic career switch. On Friday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine officially announced Husted as his pick to succeed Vance, who resigned from the U.S. Senate earlier this month. Despite having been considered for the position for months, Husted told reporters he wasn’t officially offered the role until Thursday last week.
Husted, 57, was sworn in Tuesday afternoon and resigned from his post as lieutenant governor immediately prior.
He joins a Republican political apparatus that has sweeping control over Washington, D.C., boasting a Republican administration, a Republican Senate and House of Representatives and a Republican Supreme Court of the United States.
The University of Dayton alum has a guaranteed seat in the country’s higher chamber until December 2026. In November 2026, he’ll face a special election campaign to serve out the remainder of Vance’s term, which runs until December 2028. In November 2028, he’ll have another election to vie for his own term.
With Husted’s appointment, both of Ohio’s U.S. senators will be freshman federal lawmakers. He joins U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Trump-endorsed businessman from the Cleveland area who unseated Ohio’s longtime Democratic senator Sherrod Brown, who held the post since 2006.
DeWine is now tasked with replacing Husted as lieutenant governor. He has not yet interviewed any candidates specifically for that position, a DeWine spokesperson told this outlet Monday. Whoever does fill the role will only have it until the term expires in December 2026.
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Based in Ohio's capitol, Avery is focused on using local angles to bring relevant and straightforward statewide news to our readers. You can send tips, questions or comments to his linked email.
