Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
FIRST ON FOX: Ohio’s new senator-elect, Lt. Gov. Jon Hustedhe wants to take the country “down a more fiscally responsible path” and brings his years of experience in state government to the upper house.
“Look, as a fiscal conservative, I always want to move America on a more fiscally responsible path and I want to get government out of people’s lives,” he told Fox News Digital in an exclusive first interview after being appointed by the governor . Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, will be the next senator.
Husted will assume the role of vice president-elect JD Vance’s vacated his Senate seat and ran for a special election in 2026 to determine who will serve the remainder of his term.
DOGE CAUCUS PLANS FOR BIGGEST IMPACT, SEE KEY TOOLS TO ACCELERATE WASTE CUTTING
Husted was nominated Friday to be Ohio’s next senator. (Getty Images)
The lieutenant governor said that 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 that will surely test Husted when he reaches the Senate is President-elect Trump’s desire to raise the debt ceiling.
“Look, I’ll get into all these issues once I’m sworn in,” he said.
“In state government, we have to balance our budget,” Husted explained.
OHIO GOV DEWINE PICKS LT GOV TO FILL VACANT VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JD VANCE
U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) walks into the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill on April 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“If you want to cut taxes, you have to cut spending. And that’s what I’m used to. And that’s the attitude I’m going to take in the process of being a United States senator.”
He acknowledged that America’s debt and spending problem can’t be fixed with a “magic wand,” but added, “You have to start somewhere.”
Husted’s appointment comes as Trump’s transition team is currently moving forward with key nominees for his cabinet. Many of them have been meeting with senators for months before confirmation hearings and committee votes.
When asked about coming in the middle of that process, he told Fox News Digital, “I think it’s a good list of nominees.”
Governor Mike DeWine announced Husted as his choice for the Senate. (Reuters)
“Remember, you know, I’m sitting in Vance’s seat. I’m an ally of the Trump administration and I’m going to help support these nominees and get them confirmed as soon as we can,” the senator-elect stressed.
The first confirmation votes for Trump’s nominees are expected to take place Monday evening after the inauguration.
It’s unclear who will run against Husted in the 2026 special election, but the seat is expected to be a top target for Democrats after losing the seat to former Sen. Sherrod Brown in November.
CONFIRMATION DELAYS PICK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEE AS PAPERWORK HEATS UP IN FEDERAL OFFICES
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, walks around the U.S. Capitol in July. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
There has been speculation that Brown was a candidate for Vance’s seat, and he previously declined questions from Fox News Digital about whether he would launch a campaign for it.
Following the news of Husted’s nomination on Friday, Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesman David Bergstein said in a statement: “The start of the 2026 cycle has been quickly defined by new weaknesses that have emerged in the already challenging Senate Republican map.The Ohio special election adds another seat and another controversial candidate that the GOP will have to protect, and that means Senate Republicans are starting the cycle. having to play even more defense.”
