(1) CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 23: Jon Husted speaks during the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit at The Andrew J. Brady Music Center on September 23, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
(2) CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 5: Republican nominee for vice president U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) address members of the media after voting on November 5, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Jon Husted, Ohio’s Republican lieutenant governor, has been tapped to complete U.S. Sen. JD Vance’s term following Vance’s resignation to become vice president. On Monday, Vance will be sworn in to join President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Gov. Mike DeWine announced the appointment on Friday.
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According toThe Columbus Dispatch, Husted’s appointment ends weeks of speculation about who would join Sen. Bernie Moreno in representing Ohio in the Senate. Moreno took office earlier this month after defeating former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. Husted will serve through 2026 and must run that year to keep the seat. Per Ohio law, the winner of the November 2026 election will fill out the remainder of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028.
Husted’s appointment to the Senate raises alarm bells for LGBTQ+ advocates, given his troubling legislative history. Equality Ohio assigned Husted a D rating in 2018, citing his consistent resistance to advancing LGBTQ+ rights. Throughout his career, Husted has supported policies advocates describe as harmful and discriminatory.
In 2003, Husted voted for Republican measures in the Ohio House of Representatives banning same-sex marriage. In 2008, he opposed a bill barring gays and lesbians from adopting children, Family Equality reports. Husted was adopted as a child.
In December 2023, Husted publicly criticized DeWine’s veto of the SAFE Act, a controversial bill that would have banned transgender youth from participating in girls’ sports and restricted gender-affirming care for minors.
He also championed House Bill 8, a law signed in January, requiring schools to notify parents if their child identifies as LGBTQ+ and allowing parents to opt their children out of any content related to sexuality. The Enquirer reports that Husted defended the bill by saying, “It’s about creating the right kind of culture in our state.” Critics argue the law jeopardizes the privacy and safety of LGBTQ+ youth.
Husted’s appointment coincides with a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sweeping through Ohio and other states. Recently, Ohio lawmakers passed a transgender school bathroom ban that takes effect in February, making it illegal for transgender students to use facilities consistent with their gender identity.
