Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday picked his own Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to replace Vice President-elect J.D. Vance in the U.S. Senate, passing over former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
DeWine made the announcement at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.
"I'm proud to announce that I have selected @LtGovHusted to serve in the U.S. Senate, replacing Vice President-elect @JDVance," DeWine posted on X after announcing his choice during an early afternoon press conference.
Ramaswamy, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to head his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a nongovernmental task force assigned to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs, and slash federal regulations, made a late appeal for the Senate seat.
He was "lobbying like hell," a source familiar with DeWine's thinking told Politico.
"It was bizarre," the person added.
Husted, who became lieutenant governor in 2019, will serve at least through a 2026 special election to fill the remaining two years of Vance's term.