New candidate emerges in crowded field as possible replacement for Vance's Ohio Senate seat

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is considering an Ohio attorney and Trump surrogate to fill Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Senate seat once he vacates the position and moves on to the White House .

Mehek Cooke , a Republican attorney who served as a political and legal surrogate for Trump in 2024 , is under consideration to be chosen to fill Vance 's seat.

State law dictates that a Republican will take Vance 's spot in the Senate until a special election is held in November 2026 .

The winner of that special election will then have to run again in 2028 in order to start a new six-year term.

DeWine press secretary Dan Tierney told Fox News Digital earlier this month that the timing of the governor's announcement will depend on when Vance officially vacates his Senate seat and that the governor plans to appoint a "workhorse." Tierney said that DeWine will be looking for a "workhorse" who is "qualified and ready to earn the trust of Ohio voters for another term." Original article source: New candidate emerges in crowded field as possible replacement for Vance 's Ohio Senate seat.