2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio

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2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio
Flag of Ohio.svg
  2022 November 3, 2026 2028  
 
Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent U.S. senator

JD Vance [a]
Republican



The 2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio will be held on November 3, 2026, following the election of Senator JD Vance as vice president of the United States, as he is expected to resign from the Senate before assuming the vice presidency on January 20, 2025.

Contents

According to Ohio law, if a U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant, the governor appoints a replacement who serves until December 15 following the next regularly scheduled statewide election that occurs more than 180 days after the vacancy. A special election to fill the remainder of the term is then held concurrently with that regular state election, which in this case would be November 3, 2026. [1] [2] Governor Mike DeWine has stated that he will announce an interim replacement after Vance has resigned his seat sometime before January. [3]

Republican primary

Candidates

Potential

Declined

Democratic primary

Candidates

Publicly expressed interest

Notes

  1. JD Vance was elected vice president of the United States in the 2024 presidential election. He is set to vacate his Senate seat on or before January 20, 2025, and governor Mike DeWine will appoint an interim successor.

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References

  1. Burd, Aaron (July 16, 2024). "How J.D. Vance's replacement in U.S. Senate will be picked if he becomes vice president". WCMH-TV .
  2. "Filling vacancies in elective offices" (PDF). Ohio Secretary of State. p. 2. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  3. Pelzer, Jeremy (November 7, 2024). "Who will Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pick to fill VP-elect JD Vance's U.S. Senate seat?". The Plain Dealer . Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Miller, Andrew (November 6, 2024). "8 possible replacements that could be appointed by Ohio's governor to fill JD Vance's Senate seat". Fox News . Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Henry, Megan (November 6, 2024). "What will happen to J.D. Vance's Ohio U.S. Senate seat?". Ohio Capital Journal . Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kronenberg, Alan (September 5, 2024). "Who Would Take Over for JD Vance or Tim Walz, and Does it Matter?". U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Burd, Aaron; Fahmy, Natalie (November 6, 2024). "How Ohio will choose a Senate replacement for Vice President-elect JD Vance". WCMH-TV . Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  8. Weaver, Al (November 10, 2024). "Jockeying kicks off to fill Vance vacancy in Senate". The Hill .
  9. Wendler, Jacob (July 16, 2024). "Here's What Would Happen To J.D. Vance's Senate Seat If Trump Wins". Forbes . Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Tobias, Andrew (November 14, 2024). "Democrat Tim Ryan open to 2026 election run; who's battling for Ohio House speaker". Signal Cleveland. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  11. Daniels, Eugene; Bade, Rachael (November 15, 2024). "Playbook: Trump floods the zone with new appointees". Politico. Retrieved November 15, 2024. On whether he'd run to fill the remainder of JD Vance's Senate term: "I'm not ruling anything out."