Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was appointed to be the next Ohio senator on Friday. (Getty Images)
The lieutenant governor said he plans to run both in 2026 and again when Vance's seat is up for re-election in 2028.
As a "fiscal conservative," one issue sure to test Husted upon arriving at the Senate is President-elect Trump's desire to raise the debt ceiling.
"Look, I'll get into all of those issues once I take the oath," he said.
"In state government, we have to balance our budget," Husted explained.
OHIO GOV DEWINE PICKS LT GOV TO FILL VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JD VANCE'S VACANT SEAT
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tapped Husted as his pick for Senate. (Reuters)
"Remember, you know, I'm taking Vance's seat. I'm an ally of the Trump administration, and I'm going to help support those nominees and get them confirmed as quickly as we can," the senator-designate emphasized.
The first confirmation votes for Trump nominees are expected to take place on Monday evening following the inauguration.
It's unclear who will run against Husted in the 2026 special election, but the seat is expected to be one of the Democrats' top targets after losing former Sen. Sherrod Brown's seat in November.
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Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, walks through the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in July. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Brown has been speculated as a candidate for Vance's seat, and he previously dismissed questions from Fox News Digital about whether he'd launch a campaign for it.
Following the news of Husted's appointment on Friday, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesman David Bergstein said in a statement, "The start of the 2026 cycle has quickly been defined by new weak spots emerging in Senate Republicans’ already challenging map. Ohio’s special election adds another seat and another controversial candidate the GOP will have to protect — and it means Senate Republicans are starting the cycle having to play even more defense."
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
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