What Happens to J.D. Vance’s Ohio Senate Seat Now? How His Replacement Will Be Chosen When He Becomes VP

Mar. 15, 2025

Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance speaks on the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Photo:PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

Vice President-electJ.D. Vanceis nowset to take the country’s second-highest officein January. After the Republican leaves his Ohio Senate seat vacant, there is state protocol for how his successor will be chosen.According toOhio law, when a senate seat vacancy occurs, the sitting governor “may appoint some suitable person having the necessary qualifications for senator.”This is good news for Republicans as Ohio’s Republican Gov.Mike DeWineis expected to pick another member of the GOP to succeed Vance.DeWine’s appointee will serve as interim senator until Dec. 15, 2026. Then, the winner of that year’s special election will fill the remainder of Vance’s term until 2028.Some of the likely top contenders include Lt. Gov. John Husted, Attorney General Dave Yost, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan.Former Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas.Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesVivek Ramaswamy, who ran againstDonald Trumpin the 2024 Republican presidential primary, also expressed interest in the job.“To be frank, I’d strongly consider it if I were asked to serve,” the Ohio Republican toldNBC Newsduring the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. “But I would also want to have a serious conversation with President Trump about the other ways I can have an impact on the country.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Vance, 40, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2022. He beat former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan with 53% of the vote.Before entering politics,the married father of threewas a venture capitalist and rose to fame after writing his memoir,Hillbilly Elegy, which was later adapted into a2020 Netflix film. The book detailed Vance’s life growing up in Middleton, Ohio.

Vice President-electJ.D. Vanceis nowset to take the country’s second-highest officein January. After the Republican leaves his Ohio Senate seat vacant, there is state protocol for how his successor will be chosen.According toOhio law, when a senate seat vacancy occurs, the sitting governor “may appoint some suitable person having the necessary qualifications for senator.”

This is good news for Republicans as Ohio’s Republican Gov.Mike DeWineis expected to pick another member of the GOP to succeed Vance.

DeWine’s appointee will serve as interim senator until Dec. 15, 2026. Then, the winner of that year’s special election will fill the remainder of Vance’s term until 2028.

Some of the likely top contenders include Lt. Gov. John Husted, Attorney General Dave Yost, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan.

Former Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas.Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran againstDonald Trumpin the 2024 Republican presidential primary, also expressed interest in the job.

“To be frank, I’d strongly consider it if I were asked to serve,” the Ohio Republican toldNBC Newsduring the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. “But I would also want to have a serious conversation with President Trump about the other ways I can have an impact on the country.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Vance, 40, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2022. He beat former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan with 53% of the vote.

Before entering politics,the married father of threewas a venture capitalist and rose to fame after writing his memoir,Hillbilly Elegy, which was later adapted into a2020 Netflix film. The book detailed Vance’s life growing up in Middleton, Ohio.

source: people.com