Jon Husted

Jon Allen Husted ( HEW-sted; born August 25, 1967) is an American politician serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2019 to 2025 as the 66th lieutenant governor of Ohio and from 2011 to 2019 as the 50th Ohio secretary of state. A graduate of the University of Dayton, Husted began his political career in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served from 2001 to 2009. During his last four years in the chamber, he was the 99th speaker of the House. He served in the Ohio Senate from 2009 to 2011 before serving as secretary of state. In 2018, Husted launched a campaign for governor of Ohio but withdrew from the Republican primary to join Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's ticket as the candidate for lieutenant governor. DeWine and Husted were elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. On January 17, 2025, Husted was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy left by JD Vance after he became vice president. Husted was sworn in on January 21, 2025, and is running to complete the remainder of Vance's term in the 2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio. He won the Republican nomination in March 2026 and faces Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown in November.