COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted visited Mar-a-Lago to meet with President-elect Donald Trump and VP-elect JD Vance ahead of the governor making an appointment to the U.S. Senate.
It's one of the most important decisions DeWine has to make soon.
"I continue to interview people in regard to their interest in going to the United States Senate," DeWine told reporters Friday.
Current Ohio Senator JD Vance will need to resign by inauguration day, opening up his coveted seat.
Previously, the governor said he wants someone who can win not just the primary and general elections of 2026 but can hold onto the seat in 2028.
"This has to be someone who really wants to do the job and do the work and who we think has the ability to do it," he said, adding that the Senate appointment would also be able to stay in the seat for a long time.
He would consider appointing someone who has no political experience.
RELATED: Ohio Gov. DeWine 'wouldn't rule out' appointing U.S. Senator with no political experience
The person needs to also care about their role, he continued.
"It takes someone who really will focus on the state of Ohio, will focus on national issues — someone who will really work hard..." DeWine said after the Nov. election. "This is not for the faint-hearted, this is not for someone who just wants to get a seat."
At a breakfast the governor hosted for journalists earlier this month, he added a new consideration.
"You particularly make a difference when the numbers are going to be, I guess, 53-47," DeWine said. "Every vote matters."
When asked if the razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives would play a role in his decision, he said it was "a factor" in his decision.
"It's a reality," the governor said. "It's where we are today after the president took a few."
This means he will likely not appoint a sitting member of Congress.
I spoke with more than three dozen Republican strategists, consultants, lobbyists and campaign staffers over the past week.
When it came down to it, the vast majority saw Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted as the frontrunner. I’ve been trying to nail down DeWine on Husted for weeks now.
At breakfast, invited Statehouse journalists sat with the governor, First Lady Fran, lieutenant governor, as well as members of their communications team. After eating, DeWine stood up and took around 30-45 minutes of questions.
Unsurprisingly, the first question asked was for an update on the Senate pick. He explained his criteria and danced around the probing questions.
"Does the candidate happen to be in the room at a different table?" I asked. "His name might rhyme with Ron Rusted."
Through laughter and attempts to deflect, the governor said, "no comment on that." Husted laughed and seemed to blush.
At the press conference Friday, I attempted again.
"How have your conversations with Lt. Governor Jon Husted been about his possible candidacy for U.S. Senate?" I asked the governor.
"Well, I'm not going to — look," the governor said with a seemingly amused (or annoyed) smirk for less than a second. "I'm not gonna discuss anything in regard to that."
However, the governor and LG's team confirmed exclusively to me that the pair were in Mar-a-Lago recently to meet with Trump and Vance, but they would not comment on their conversation.
However, at the breakfast a week before, DeWine said he had spoken with Trump and Vance about the appointment.
Husted has only been the frontrunner in recent days, strategists told me. This is because the LG has always wanted to be governor and is endorsed by DeWine for governor.
But a U.S. Senate seat does seem valuable — especially when the fate of the 2026 gubernatorial race isn't clear.
Husted has been expected to run for governor against Attorney General Dave Yost. But in the past few months, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has shown interest.
Ramaswamy, from Cincinnati, is now chair of the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump but had expressed a desire to be appointed to the Senate.
"Trump's decisive victory on Tuesday opens up a lot of possibilities to change the country," Ramaswamy responded to me when I asked about his interest in the seat right after the election. "We're obviously having discussions and they're not going to be sorted out in the press."
Strategists believe that Ramaswamy would be a threat to Husted, considering he is a well-known multi-millionaire and could fund his own campaign.
After DeWine ended the question portion of the breakfast, I asked if I could ask one final question to Husted.
"If you had a choice, would you rather be a senator or governor?" I asked.
He didn't respond, but both he and the governor laughed. DeWine then shut down the gaggle.
But if it isn’t Husted, there are other names that strategists spoke highly of.
Onto the names
This list is not exhaustive and only reflects the views of more than three dozen Ohio political insiders in different offices and professions. This is an updated list from my version directly after the election.
The day after the election, we put out our second list of possible contenders.
RELATED: The race is on to replace JD Vance in the U.S. Senate
To prevent being swindled by politicos trying to plug their clients or friends, I created restrictions. Each of the individuals on this list has been mentioned to me more than ten times.
Jane Timken
Jane Timken, of Northeast Ohio, was one of the most popular names referenced.
She is a Trump ally who ran for U.S. Senate in 2022 and is currently the RNC Committeewoman for Ohio. She also has a good relationship with institutional Republicans like Rob Portman.
She would be the first female U.S. Senator in Ohio history.
"I would be honored to serve Ohio in the U.S. Senate," Timken told me. "Of course the decision is up to Governor DeWine."
More than a third of the politicos I spoke to said Timken. She makes sense for a variety of reasons, including DeWine's legacy, strategists said. She has a disposition similar to that of the governor, some added.
Robert Sprague
Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague was also floated consistently.
He has been working in politics for years. He previously was a member of the state House, representing parts of Northwest Ohio. Prior to that, he served as the Findlay auditor and treasurer.
“The Treasurer is a two-time statewide winner, has never lost an election, and has served Ohioans with integrity in the Treasurer’s office," Sprague's campaign spokesperson Dalton Throckmorton said. "He deserves to be a part of the conversation.”
Sprague would be a smart pick for DeWine since he shares a similar temperament but is more conservative and could get the Trump endorsement, politicos said.
Jay Edwards
State Rep. Jay Edwards' name popped up within the last two weeks but continues growing.
Edwards serves as the chair of the House finance committee. He represents Southeast Ohio. He is the youngest on this list and would be the youngest senator if appointed. That could be good, strategists say because he would get to spend years there and earn seniority.
The lawmaker continues to be one of the strongest fundraisers of the entire General Assembly.
Edwards declined to comment.
Frank LaRose
Sec. of State Frank LaRose was mentioned as a possibility.
He ran for U.S. Senate in 2024. He was a U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret before representing parts of Northeast Ohio in the state Senate.
"Secretary LaRose has always answered the call of duty. He’s been a soldier, a senator, and a statewide officeholder, so he has a lot to offer Ohioans in the U.S. Senate if the governor asks him to serve there," LaRose's spokesperson Dan Lushek said. "For now, he’s focused on the current mission, which is wrapping up one of the smoothest and most successful presidential elections in state history and preparing for the next election cycle."
However, over half of the politicos I spoke to said LaRose is gunning for a spot in Trump's administration.
Matt Dolan
State Sen. Matt Dolan was an early frontrunner. Strategists say that faltered when realizing he would likely not win Trump's endorsement.
Dolan, one of the most moderate Republicans at the Statehouse, serves as the chair of the Senate finance committee. He represents Northeast Ohio.
DeWine endorsed Dolan in the last U.S. Senate Republican primary, but he finished second to Bernie Moreno. Politicos offered that if Dolan doesn't get the appointment, DeWine will likely help support him in another role, including possibly LG if Husted gets the seat.
His team declined to comment.
Lydia Mihalik
Lydia Mihalik is the Director of the Ohio Department of Development and a close ally to the governor. She had popped up, like Edwards, over the past week.
She was previously the mayor of Findlay before DeWine chose her to lead the dept. Under her watch, Intel, Honda, GM and Ford chose to invest in the state.
She would be a great pick, but probably wouldn't be a "rubber-stamper for Trump," many strategists said.
Either way, she seems to not want it.
"I am focused on state government and that is where I plan to stay involved," Mihalik told me.
Honorable mentions
Before DeWine's comments about likely not picking from Congress, strategists floated U.S. Reps. Mike Carey, Warren Davidson and Dave Joyce.
DeWine's Timeline
DeWine has some time to think.
"My understanding is that Senator Vance is not going to resign until after the first of the year," the governor said. "So it's unlikely we will have anything before that."
To be clear, it is possible that all of these politicos were wrong and that DeWine is going to appoint a "dark horse."
If you've been vetted by the governor, feel free to reach out to me.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
