Joined by his family and tearing up several times, Husted thanked DeWine for the appointment.
“In the end this is easy, it’s a decision about service ... for me and my family and where we can have the most impact,” Husted said. “I’ll be proud to serve Ohio as a U.S. senator.”
When he gets to D.C., Husted will enjoy the luxury of working for a Senate with a 53-to-47 Republican majority, paired with a GOP House and a Republican administration.
Husted stressed he wants to return power from the federal government to the states. He noted President-elect Donald Trump won Ohio by 11 points, and said, “I will do all I can to help him and (Vice President-elect) JD Vance be successful.”
Husted, 57, is guaranteed to have a spot in the Senate until at least December 2026. After that, he’ll face a grueling grind to maintain his place in the chamber, as law mandates a special election to be held in November 2026 to determine who will serve out the remainder of the original six-year Senate term ending December 2028, and another general election in November 2028 for a new term.
In DeWine’s considerations, it was imperative that whomever he picked for the post had the stomach, and the ability, to win two Republican primaries and two general elections within two years. Husted told reporters he accepted the position with the full intent of continuing his time in the Senate.
Husted holds an undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Dayton — where he was a member of UD’s 1989 Division III National Championship football team.
Husted worked for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce as vice president of economic development before entering politics. As lieutenant governor, he’s been credited with helping bring billions in economic development to Ohio, including Intel’s forthcoming computer chip plant and a newly-announced weapon manufacturer’s expansion into the state set to bring some 4,000 high-paying jobs.
“Senate-Appointee Husted knows the Dayton area, our business community and has been a part of the region’s economic success,” said Chris Kershner, president and CEO of the Dayton Chamber.
“Jon will be an advocate for our business community on day one and that makes a big difference. The region’s business priorities have been in front of him as lieutenant governor and those priorities will be the same as a U.S. Senator. We will just have to go to a different office to meet with him.”
Christopher Devine, a political science professor at UD, described Husted as a great fit for the nation’s higher chamber given his considerable legislative experience here in Ohio.
“(Husted is) someone who has a wide range of experience, not just being in the legislature but as a legislative leader; holding the secretary of state’s position having run statewide twice and won handily in those races,” said Devine. “He’s someone who’s had a great deal of electoral success, has leadership experience, has handled a wide range of issues.”
Where Husted stands on issues
A swearing-in date is not yet set for Husted, who said he’ll continue his role as L.G. until he takes his oath. However, he said he’d support all of Trump’s cabinet nominees who are facing Senate confirmation, if possible.
As lieutenant governor, Husted has mainly used his position to attract businesses to Ohio and take on social media companies like TikTok, X, and Meta, which he has castigated for intentionally targeting youth with addictive content.
With his advocacy, the state has taken steps to curb the use of smart phones in schools and has attempted — but was rebuked by federal court — to force social media companies to give parents final say over their children’s social media accounts.
When this outlet asked Husted Friday about his position on a pending federal TikTok ban in America, or how he intends to use his Senate seat to further regulate social media companies, he said he’s holding off on talking about those particular issues.
“But check back with me, because I have some strong opinions on those issues that we’re going to work on,” Husted said. “I gotta get organized and we’ve got to get ready to go to work and, once I take my oath of office, I’ll talk about all the things I want to do to help Ohio.”
Husted also wouldn’t elaborate on his positions on other topics on the national and international stage, such as U.S. support for Ukraine in fending off an invasion by Russia.
In a pinned post after the November election, Husted voices support on X (former Twitter) for Trump’s “America First agenda: strengthening border security, curbing inflation, and creating jobs in the heartland.”
As for known positions on controversial topics, Husted’s career highlights include creating Ohio’s first private school voucher program, which has since ballooned into a billion-dollar-per-year venture to get more kids in private schools; he’s slashed income taxes and eliminated certain business taxes; and “set a national standard for maintaining the voter rolls” during his time as secretary of state, he recalled.
Ohio’s soon-to-be Senator is also staunchly anti-abortion and has spoken at rallies on Statehouse grounds elaborating on how his experience as an adopted child helped shape his stance on abortion.
Reactions
One of the first reactions to Husted’s appointment came from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, whose Executive Director Lauren Blauvelt released a statement saying: “Husted’s longstanding anti-abortion stance raises serious questions about his commitment to safeguarding the reproductive rights of Ohioans, particularly in the wake of recent statewide victories for reproductive freedom.”
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce meanwhile praised the appointment.
“Lt. Gov. Husted has always been committed to building a growing and prosperous state economy, and he has consistently taken action to make Ohio a great place to live, work and do business,” said Ohio Chamber President and CEO Steve Stivers. “Taxes that harm small businesses could double in the near future, the federal budget must be balanced and permitting reform is necessary to strengthen our state’s business climate. Lt. Gov. Husted is the right choice to get these things done and to advocate for Ohio at the Congressional level, and we look forward to working with him in his new role.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, issued a statement congratulating Husted on the appointment.
“Jon’s roots in Dayton and his devotion to advancing opportunities for Ohioans make him uniquely suited to be a champion of Ohio values in the United States Senate,” Turner said.
Ohio Democrats meanwhile worked to remind people of Husted’s connections to the FirstEnergy scandal; Husted’s appointment came the same day two company executives were accused in federal charges of taking part in an enterprise to bribe state officials and secure a $1 billion bailout of the company’s nuclear plants.
“While Governor DeWine may have handed Husted a literal get out of jail free card, Ohioans won’t tolerate a career politician with a penchant for corruption and scandal,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters. “It’s already clear we can’t trust Husted. Over the next two years, Democrats will work tirelessly to hold Husted accountable and will be contesting this competitive seat in the midterm election.”
State political implications
The pick partially sorts a logjam of high profile Ohio Republicans who are eyeing a 2026 run to replace term-limited DeWine as Ohio governor.
Husted, along with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — whom the Washington Post reported was encouraged by Trump to vie for the Senate appointment — all have ambitions of leading Ohio’s executive branch.
But with a new Senate career path for Husted, whom DeWine has endorsed as a “great” would-be governor, Ohio’s second-in-command may have to wait for another chance at the state’s highest office.
Husted admitted that he flipped back and forth on which route he’d prefer, but by the end believed that anyone who was offered a sure shot in the U.S. Senate would take it.
“In the end, it’s the opportunity to go right now to Washington — not two years from now, but now — to go work with President Trump and a Republican majority to do the things that I think will make America a better country,” Husted said. “Once you really look at it like that, it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”
The move also continues a game of electoral musical chairs, as Husted’s departure opens up the lieutenant governor slot in Ohio’s executive slate. DeWine said he’s not yet begun considering who sill succeed Husted in the lieutenant governor role.
“I will miss this very good man. The state of Ohio will miss this excellent lieutenant governor,” DeWine said, “but we are gaining a strong advocate for us in Washington, D.C. We are gaining someone who I have every confidence will serve people in the state of Ohio.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
