The Race Is on to Replace JD Vance in the Senate

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It’s an embarrassment of riches for the Republicans these days. Not only did they sweep the House, Senate and White House, but they’re also sending many of their best and brightest to serve in the second Donald Trump administration. This leaves many vacancies to be filled, and one of the most important is the Ohio Senate seat vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance.

Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate a mere two years ago, beating Democrat Tim Ryan to replace the retiring Rob Portman (R). Our next vice president spent his brief Senate career in the minority, but his replacement will enjoy a GOP-controlled Senate with its brand new majority leader, Sen. John Thune (R-SD).

The ultimate decision on who replaces Vance ultimately lies with Ohio’s governor, Republican Mike DeWine. As RedState’s Ward Clark previously reported:

Ohio is one of 36 states in which a Senate vacancy is filled by a gubernatorial appointment. In Ohio, the appointed senator then serves until the next regular general election; so, whoever Governor DeWine appoints will serve until 2026, when a special election is held. The winner of that special election serves the remainder of the original term, following which they may run for reelection in their own right. Senator – now Vice President-elect – Vance’s Senate election bid would have been in 2028.

Initial speculation about Vance’s replacement was centered on former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, but he’ll be busy running the non-governmental Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk. 

So, with Vivek Ramaswamy out of the running, who’s likely to be tapped by DeWine? A few names are being bandied about.

Attorney Mehek Cooke, a Republican attorney who served as a political and legal surrogate for Trump in 2024, is under consideration to be chosen to fill Vance’s seat, a source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital. 

Cooke, known as a formidable fundraiser in the state of Ohio, has appeared on Fox News and was a vocal supporter of President-elect Trump during the 2024 campaign, where he won Ohio by 11 points and his endorsement in the state is viewed as carrying a significant amount of weight.

Cooke is a wife, mother of two and a naturalized citizen from India. A prominent GOP donor from Ohio said of Cooke, “She’s a proud American citizen, she’s proud of this country and she very much has a kind heart and realizes that not everyone has the same opportunities. She is a firm believer in what’s right and what’s wrong, and you know where she stands.”

Sources close to Ohio’s governor reportedly said that “elevating women is important to DeWine and that he would like to appoint a woman to the seat, although gender is not the deciding factor.” 

Here are some other options.

Republican Jane Timken, an Ohio attorney who served as chair of the Ohio Republican Party from 2017 to 2021, is also widely considered to be another potential Vance replacement. 

Other candidates reportedly in the mix include Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Attorney General Dave Yost, Treasurer Robert Sprague and State Sen. Matt Dolan.

Then there are the current House members who are under consideration: Reps. Mike Carey, David Joyce and Warren Davidson. Picking one of these names could be very tricky, as Republicans hold only a narrow House majority in the incoming Congress and will need to replace at least three sitting (or very recently resigned) members who have been nominated to serve in the Trump administration. Tapping another House member to replace Vance could upend things.

Gov. DeWine’s press secretary, Dan Tierney, has said the governor will name a replacement once Vance officially resigns from the U.S. Senate.