The Republicans are awash in riches these days. They won the House, Senate, and White House and sent many of their brightest and best to serve the second Donald Trump Administration. Many vacancies need to be filled. One of the most critical is the Ohio Senate seat left vacant by Vice President-elect JDVance.
Vance won the U.S. Senate election in just two years, defeating Democrat Tim Ryan. He was chosen to replace the retiring Rob Portman. The next vice president, John Thune, will be replacing Rob Portman (R), who is retiring after a brief stint in the Senate minority.
Mike DeWine, the Republican governor of Ohio, is ultimately responsible for making a decision about who will replace Vance.
Ohio is one out of 36 states where a Senate vacancy can be filled by a governor’s appointment. The appointed senator in Ohio serves until the following regular general election. So, whoever DeWine nominates, will serve until 2026 when a special election is held. The winner of this special election will serve the remainder of their original term and then be eligible to run for re-election. Vance, now Vice-President-elect, would have run for Senate in 2028.
Vivek RAMASWAMY, a former presidential candidate who was also Elon Musk’s partner in the Department of Government Efficiency.
DeWine is likely to choose someone else after Vivek Ramaswamy drops out. Several names have been mentioned.
Fox News Digital reported that Mehek Cooke is being considered to replace Vance. He was a Republican lawyer who served as Trump’s surrogate in the 2024 presidential election.
Cooke is known for being a formidable fund-raiser in Ohio. He has appeared on Fox News and was an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump won Ohio by 11 percentage points, and Cooke’s endorsement in Ohio is seen as having a lot of weight.
Cooke is a married mother of two children and a naturalized Indian citizen. Cooke is a naturalized citizen from India, a wife, a mother of two, and a proud American. A prominent GOP donor in Ohio described her as “a proud American, proud of the country, and very kind-hearted.” She also said that she realizes not everyone has equal opportunities. She’s a strong believer in right and wrong and you’ll know her position.
According to sources close to Ohio Governor DeWine, “elevating the women is very important to DeWine. He would like to nominate a woman for the seat even though gender is not a deciding factor.”
Other options are available.
Another possible Vance replacement is Republican Jane Timken. She’s an Ohio lawyer who was chairwoman of the Ohio Republican Party between 2017 and 2021.
Other candidates in the running include Ohio’s Republican Sec. of State Frank LaRose and Republican Lt. Governor. Jon Husted is reportedly in the mix, as are Attorney General Dave Yost and Treasurer Robert Sprague.
Three current House members are being considered: Reps. Mike Carey and David Joyce. It could be difficult to choose one of these names since Republicans only hold a small majority in the House in the new Congress. They will also need to replace three members (who have resigned or are currently serving in the Trump Administration) who are nominated. A new House member could upset the system.
Gov. Dan Tierney, DeWine’s press secretary, said the governor would name a successor once Vance formally resigns as a U.S. Senator.
