2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio explained

Election Name:2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio
Country:Ohio
Type:presidential
Ongoing:yes
Previous Election:2022 United States Senate election in Ohio
Previous Year:2022
Next Election:2028 United States Senate election in Ohio
Next Year:2028
Election Date:November 3, 2026
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
U.S. Senator
Before Election:JD Vance
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)

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.

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]

This will be the first U.S. Senate special election in Ohio since 1954.

Background

After voting for President Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012, Ohio has trended increasingly Republican in subsequent years and is now considered red state. Republicans control both U.S. Senate seats, all statewide offices, and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Republicans also have a majority of the state's US House delegation.

Republican nominee Donald Trump won Ohio in 2016 and 2020 by 8 points, and in 2024 grew his margin to 13 points.[4]

Republican JD Vance, now the vice president-elect, defeated Democrat Tim Ryan in the 2022 U.S. Senate election by slightly over 6 points. While Republican Bernie Moreno, defeated then-incumbent Sherrod Brown in the 2024 U.S. Senate election by 4 points.[5]

Republican primary

Candidates

Potential

Declined

Democratic primary

Candidates

Publicly expressed interest

Potential

Declined

Notes and References

  1. News: Burd . Aaron . How J.D. Vance's replacement in U.S. Senate will be picked if he becomes vice president . . July 16, 2024.
  2. Web site: Filling vacancies in elective offices . Ohio Secretary of State . November 6, 2024 . 2.
  3. News: Who will Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pick to fill VP-elect JD Vance's U.S. Senate seat? . Jeremy . Pelzer . . November 7, 2024 . November 7, 2024 . November 7, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241107191548/https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/11/who-will-ohio-gov-mike-dewine-pick-to-fill-vp-elect-jd-vances-us-senate-seat.html . live .
  4. Web site: Schladen . Marty . 2024-11-06 . Trump wins Ohio for a third time • Ohio Capital Journal . 2024-12-05 . Ohio Capital Journal . en-US.
  5. Web site: Evans . Nick . 2024-11-06 . Republican Bernie Moreno defeats incumbent Sherrod Brown for Ohio U.S. Senate seat • Ohio Capital Journal . 2024-12-05 . Ohio Capital Journal . en-US.
  6. Web site: Gancarski . A.G. . JD Vance Senate vacancy sets up scramble in Ohio to fill seat . . 24 November 2024 . 23 November 2024 . November 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241123230555/https://floridapolitics.com/archives/709270-jd-vance-senate-vacancy-sets-up-scramble-in-ohio-to-fill-seat/ . live .
  7. Web site: Miller . Andrew . November 6, 2024 . 8 possible replacements that could be appointed by Ohio's governor to fill JD Vance's Senate seat . November 7, 2024 . . en-US . November 8, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241108000610/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/8-possible-replacements-that-could-be-appointed-by-ohios-governor-replace-jd-vances-senate-seat . live .
  8. News: Kronenberg . Alan . Who Would Take Over for JD Vance or Tim Walz, and Does it Matter? . November 6, 2024 . . September 5, 2024 . November 16, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241116072510/https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-09-05/who-would-take-over-for-jd-vance-or-tim-walz . live .
  9. Web site: Henry . Megan . November 6, 2024 . What will happen to J.D. Vance's Ohio U.S. Senate seat? . November 8, 2024 . . en-US . November 7, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241107192215/https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/what-will-happen-to-j-d-vances-ohio-u-s-senate-seat/ . live .
  10. Web site: Jockeying kicks off to fill Vance vacancy in Senate . . Weaver, Al . November 10, 2024 . November 12, 2024 . November 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241111180544/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4981631-senate-vacancy-vance-ohio-dewine/ . live .
  11. Web site: Here's What Would Happen To J.D. Vance's Senate Seat If Trump Wins . . Wendler, Jacob . July 16, 2024 . November 10, 2024.
  12. News: Burd . Aaron . Fahmy . Natalie . How Ohio will choose a Senate replacement for Vice President-elect JD Vance . November 7, 2024 . . November 6, 2024.
  13. News: Ohio AG to run for governor in 2026 . December 4, 2024 . WTVG . December 4, 2024 . en.
  14. News: Tobias . Andrew . Democrat Tim Ryan open to 2026 election run; who's battling for Ohio House speaker . November 14, 2024 . Signal Cleveland . November 14, 2024 . November 28, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241128120326/https://signalcleveland.org/democrat-tim-ryan-open-to-2026-election-run/ . live .
  15. News: Daniels . Eugene . Bade . Rachael . Playbook: Trump floods the zone with new appointees . November 15, 2024 . . November 15, 2024 . On whether he'd run to fill the remainder of JD Vance's Senate term: "I’m not ruling anything out.".
  16. Web site: Cohen . David . November 24, 2024 . Sherrod Brown won’t rule out running for Senate again . live . November 26, 2024 . . November 25, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241125172550/https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/24/sherrod-brown-senate-run-00191406 .
  17. News: Solender . Andrew . Scoop: A huge wave of House members is eyeing runs for other offices in 2026 . November 27, 2024 . Axios . November 27, 2024 . en . November 28, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241128024940/https://www.axios.com/2024/11/27/house-members-running-for-senate-governor-2026 . live .
  18. Web site: 2024-11-22 . Replacing JD Vance in the U.S. Senate sets off scramble in Ohio . . 2024-11-24 . en-US . November 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241122233947/https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/jd-vance-senate-scramble-ohio-seat-mike-dewine/ . live .
  19. andrewsolender . 1864376325487677495 . December 4, 2024 . Other things I learned in reporting this story: - Ohio Reps. Sykes (per her office) and Brown (per statement from her) aren't running for Vance's seat - Tenn. Rep. Green not running for gov, per source - N.Y. Rep. Suozzi says he's not running for gov . Andrew Solender . December 4, 2024.

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