Ohio Lieutenant Governor John Husted was expected to fill Vance's Senate seat.

Washington – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is expected to name Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, multiple sources tell CBS News.

DeWine is expected to announce his selection at a press conference Friday at 1 p.m.

This announcement will end months of speculation and lobbying for Vance's seat, which was for only two years. DeWine, a former US senator, has remained tight-lipped about who might replace Vance in the Senate.

DeWine and other Republican governors met with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this month.

Ohio's senior US senator is now a senator. Bernie MorenoWho became a senator in the beginning of this month.

Husted, 57, has been the lieutenant governor of Ohio since 2019. He has also served as Ohio Secretary of State and was considering running for governor in 2026 to replace the term-limited DeWine.

Wealthy Trump ally and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was also floated as a possibility for the job. Trump appointed him to co-lead the “Department of Government Efficiency”, a new advisory body aimed at tackling federal spending and waste. Ramaswamy has been largely quiet since criticizing the “mediocrity” of American culture on social media in December and feeling that Americans are lazy, prompting a backlash.

“More movies like 'Whiplash', less reruns of 'Friends,'” Ramaswamy, 39, complained on X in December. “More math tutoring, less sleep. More weekend science competitions, less Saturday morning cartoons. More books, less TV. More creating, less 'chillin'.' More extracurricular activities, less 'hanging out at the mall.'”

This did not go over well, with many of Trump's other allies and supporters criticizing Ramaswamy for his comments.

In Ohio, the governor nominates senators to fill vacancies in the U.S. Senate until the next regular election. In this case, the special election would be held in November 2026, and the winner would remain in office until Vance's term ends. He would have stood for re-election in 2028.

The governor calls special elections for seats in the House. Ohio has not had to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy since 1974.

ed o'keefe

Ed O'Keefe is the senior White House and political correspondent for CBS News. He previously worked for The Washington Post covering presidential campaigns, Congress and federal agencies. His primary focus is on President Biden, Vice President Harris, and political issues across the country.