Gov. Mike DeWine broke a political logjam last Friday when he announced he had appointed Jon Husted to the U.S. Senate.
The move ended months of speculation. It also prompted moves in response from Republicans and Democrats that give us an idea of what to expect in 2026.
Let’s run down the list.
Vivek Ramaswamy watch
Ramaswamy emerged as a late wildcard in the Senate appointment, with news stories describing him as President Donald Trump’s preferred Senate candidate. I’m not sure that’s exactly the case. It felt to me more like an exit strategy hatched by his team, and I think subsequent coverage by the national media describing his premature ouster from the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative reinforces my view.
Regardless, Ramaswamy is now openly teasing his plans to run for governor, an announcement that could come officially as soon as next week. And Husted’s appointment to the Senate takes him out of the running for governor. I see Ramaswamy as the Republican primary election’s early frontrunner, thanks to his political celebrity and his vast personal wealth, which will allow him to self-fund a campaign. Perhaps most importantly, he should be first in line to get a Trump endorsement, assuming the murky circumstances behind his departure from DOGE don’t make that harder somehow.
The rest of the field
Meanwhile, two other Republicans took steps toward a run for governor in the hours following the Husted announcement. Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague filed state paperwork officially declaring himself a candidate for governor. Attorney General Dave Yost released another not-so-subtle campaign video. And, finally, Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director who’s the only Democrat running for governor so far, issued a statement that reiterated some of the campaign talking points from her campaign launch earlier in the month.
2026 Senate race
Husted will have to immediately gear up to run for election, since Ohio law requires him to do so in 2026. No Democratic challengers have emerged yet. But a line from Husted – in which he described his view that state governments should be empowered within the federal system – may have alluded to a likely contender.
“We [states] can help more people experience the dignity of work,” Husted said, repeating in his last three words a core catchphrase from former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, “and strengthen the earning power of the middle class.”
Brown hasn’t said whether he’s running, but he also hasn’t ruled it out.
Who becomes the new lieutenant governor?
Husted’s appointment to the U.S. Senate creates a vacancy in Columbus. DeWine now will have to choose a new lieutenant governor. The Ohio House and Senate must confirm the pick, according to state law.
A potential candidate got a chance to audition for the job last week, so to speak.
Lydia Milahik, leader of DeWine’s economic development department, got a prime speaking slot last Thursday at an event announcing plans to build a factory outside Columbus for Andruil, a California military contractor that builds drones and sensors. Her inclusion is just the latest example of DeWine giving the former Findlay mayor a chance to build experience and exposure by making public speeches.
That’s an example of why Mihalik is commonly mentioned as a potential LG candidate. Other reasons include her history with DeWine and her ties to Husted, including their similar work in the administration.
Officials touted the planned factory, which could see 4,000 workers hired over the next decade, as the largest jobs project in state history. State officials have yet to announce how much public money it will get.
JP Nauseef, another Husted ally and the leader of JobsOhio, the state’s private economic development arm, said Andruil picked Ohio in part because of the site’s proximity to key air fields. One is the nearby Rickenbacker Airport, another is a state drone-testing site in Springfield and the big one is Wright Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton. The site was prepared to host a manufacturing facility, which will help the company with its goal of beginning production in 2026. Ohio also has a skilled workforce and a history of aviation and military contracting, he said.
“All those things combined, it was our value proposition. We got an opportunity, we shared the value prop with them, and they picked Ohio,” Nauseef said.
Connect with Signal Statewide’s higher education reporter
I want to take a minute to note that my Signal Statewide colleague Amy Morona is keeping a close eye on higher education and welcomes tips and ideas. Here are a few issues on her radar at the moment.
She’s following Senate Bill 83 – now SB 1 in this year’s session. It’s a vast higher ed overhaul bill that banned mandatory DEI training and sought to require more “intellectual diversity.” It made a comeback at the Statehouse yesterday.
She also is talking with Lorain County Community College President Marcia Ballinger about the school’s semiconductor education, which it’s been providing for years. It’s certainly topical as Ohio continues to ride a roller coaster with Intel and its expansion plans in Columbus.
You can connect with Amy at [email protected].
Rules change squeezes Democrats even more
Legislative rules are the ultimate inside baseball. But a new package the Ohio House approved on Wednesday offers another example of how Matt Huffman’s ascension as Ohio House speaker will change how the legislature operates.In this case, the House’s operations will become less transparent and less bipartisan.
The new rules package undoes some modest bipartisan concessions former speaker Jason Stephens made to Democrats in exchange for electing him as speaker in January 2023 over a rival Republican candidate.
The new rules eliminate requirements that the House publicize its legislative agenda 24 hours in advance. They also eliminate a requirement that Republicans share proposed amendments with Democrats – as well as the general public – a certain amount of time in advance.
Huffman also once again will have unilateral authority to pick who serves on the committees that review proposed bills before they’re passed. Under rules Stephens pushed through, Democratic Minority Leader Allison Russo could pick Democratic committee members. Now, she will only be able to recommend them.
Finally, Huffman’s new rules also reduce Democratic committee representation by an average of one to two seats per committee, even as Democrats gained a couple seats in the House.
Republicans described the changes in general as a way to streamline legislative operations. Democrats, meanwhile, said the changes would deprive the public of their right to know.
“What was passed here is not just bad for Democrats, it’s bad for all members,” Russo told reporters following Wednesday’s legislative session. “It’s bad for the entire public.”
Spot check
The new rules do keep in place one Stephens-backed change that took away a speaker’s ability to inflict one of the pettiest forms of punishment possible. Under the new rules, Huffman still will not be allowed to take away the reserved parking spots from members who displease him.
