Ohio will have open Senate seat in 2025 if JD Vance becomes VP. Who could DeWine appoint?

The nomination of JD Vance as Donald Trump's running mate on Monday raised immediate questions about the future of his Ohio Senate seat if they win in November.

The former president picked Vance after weeks of speculation about who would join the ticket as he seeks his return to the White House in November. The "Hillbilly Elegy" author was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022, with no prior political experience, and would be one of the youngest vice presidents in history if elected.

More: Ohio Sen. JD Vance Donald Trump's pick for vice president

If Vance heads to the White House in January, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine would appoint someone to replace him until a special election is held in November 2026. The winner would serve out the rest of Vance's first term, which ends in 2028.

DeWine said he's thought about the appointment but wouldn't indicate who he's considering for the job. As a former U.S. senator himself, the governor is expected to think carefully − and strategically − about who he wants representing Ohio in Congress' upper chamber.

"You want someone who can win," DeWine said Monday as Republican delegates prepared to nominate Vance. "You want someone who would be a good U.S. senator. Those are the basic criteria."

Who could replace JD Vance in the Senate?

Potential names to replace Vance began circulating even before he secured the vice-presidential nomination.

DeWine has a delicate balance to maintain as he considers who to appoint and position for an election in 2028. Vance and Trump will likely have a vested interest in who gets the seat, especially if either party has a razor-thin Senate majority. But observers say electability is also important, particularly because 2026 could be a tough election year for Republicans if they control the White House.

Trump and DeWine aren't particularly close, either, meaning the governor may not prioritize his interests over Ohio's.

"Ohio leans Republican, but it’s not Alabama," said Justin Buchler, a political scientist at Case Western Reserve University. "That means appointing somebody who is hard right and not well-known, not well-qualified would lead to a potential loss if the Democrats were to field a relatively strong challenger in a good year."

One contender popped up almost immediately after Monday's announcement: Entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The Columbus-area resident and Cincinnati native is an avid Trump supporter − despite challenging him during the primary − and some see him as a logical appointment who would further the administration's agenda.

Ramaswamy said he would "strongly consider" the job, if asked.

"I'd want to have a conversation with President Trump about how I could maximize my impact on this country and make sure that second term is as successful as it can be," he said.

The field of possibilities beyond Ramaswamy is vast. Among them could be Secretary of State Frank LaRose or state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, who lost this year's Senate primary to Republican businessman Bernie Moreno. Dolan's prospects are less certain: He was DeWine's pick for the March primary, but Trump has repeatedly criticized him in the past.

A spokesman for LaRose did not respond to a request for comment. Dolan adviser Chris Maloney said the state senator and DeWine have "wisely stated that Ohio's focus must remain on a strong Republican victory in November."

DeWine could also try to thin the field of candidates running to replace him as governor in 2026 or make history by nominating Ohio's first female U.S. senator.

"(DeWine) has great fond memories of his tenure in the Senate," Republican strategist Mark Weaver said. "This is a more important appointment to him then an opening on the Ohio Supreme Court. A different part of Mike DeWine’s brain will be engaged on this than normal appointments because he cares about the Senate."

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What JD Vance VP nomination could mean for his Ohio Senate seat