Morning Digest: How the pick to replace Vance in the Senate upends Ohio's race for governor

But the door doesn't open that wide for a top Trump apparatchik

Incoming Ohio Sen. Jon Husted (credit: Jon Husted campaign Facebook)

Leading Off

OH-Sen, OH-Gov

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday that he would name Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to replace JD Vance in the Senate—a decision that transforms two of next year's biggest elections.

Husted had spent the last few years preparing a campaign to succeed DeWine, a political ally who's barred from seeking a third term. Initially, those plans weren't impacted by Vance's election as Donald Trump's running-mate. Observers even speculated that DeWine would send another gubernatorial hopeful to the Senate to ease his preferred successor's path to the governor's mansion.

But the terrain began to shift this month when reporters learned that the lieutenant governor had become a top contender for the appointment. Husted, according to NBC's Henry Gomez, at first wasn't sure whether he wanted to give up on his longtime dream of becoming the state's chief executive—he had run for governor in 2017 before dropping out to join DeWine's ticket—but he ultimately decided to take the job when it was offered.

One potential reason for this change of plans: fear—presumably on the part of Husted and his allies—that the lieutenant governor "would have a hard time" winning the nomination for DeWine's job, according to Spotlight Ohio's Andrew Tobias. Husted had good reason to worry: While the former secretary of state attracted national scorn from Democrats in 2012 by trying to cut the availability of early voting, he never established himself as a MAGA diehard.

A more Trumpy option, though, now appears to be on offer. Multiple outlets reported on Friday that businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who made a last-minute play for the Senate nod, is now preparing a campaign for governor. Politico's Adam Wren added on Sunday that Ramaswamy, who co-chairs a proposed presidential advisory commission on government spending, might soon quit that operation to launch a bid "by the last week in January."

But while Ramaswamy remains preoccupied with federal matters, better-established Ohio Republicans are gearing up. Attorney General Dave Yost all but confirmed he would run last month, and his team says an official launch will come in late February.

State Treasurer Robert Sprague was more tightlipped about his future until Friday when he filed to run for governor. Sprague held off announcing anything, though, posting instead on social media that he’ll be "sharing my vision for Ohio in the weeks ahead." It's also possible that Husted's absence will encourage more Republicans to take a look at this race.

It's too early to know if the new senator will face a primary battle of his own in next year's special election for the final two years of Vance's term. Husted, though, did get a big vote of confidence from the far right on Friday when Rep. Jim Jordan blessed his appointment.

A familiar Democrat, meanwhile, is interested in testing if this longtime swing state's hard shift to the right is reversible. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost reelection in November for Ohio's other seat, has repeatedly refused to rule out a campaign to return to the upper chamber, and in a valedictory address before his soon-to-be former colleagues last month, he said, "This is my last speech on the floor this year, but it is not, I promise you, the last time you will hear from me."

Brown—who won his first Senate race in 2006 by unseating DeWine—also hasn't quite closed the door on seeking his old rival's current post instead, though such a bid appears unlikely. The Associated Press says that Brown appears to be supporting former state Health Director Amy Acton, who launched her campaign for governor earlier this month.

Legislatures

MN State House

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Democratic Gov. Tim Walz had moved too quickly when he scheduled a special election for the state House last month, saying he was obligated to wait until the legislature reconvened on Jan. 14 to take action. The justices ordered officials to cancel the election, which was already underway, necessitating that a new election be called.

As a result, Republicans will retain their 67-66 edge in the House for an additional length of time—a temporary advantage they're trying to use to take control of the chamber even though the November elections yielded a 67-67 tie between the parties.

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Walz had originally set the special election for District 40B, a safely blue seat in the St. Paul suburbs, for Jan. 28. While he has yet to choose a new date, he told the local PBS show "Almanac" on Friday evening that a rescheduled election would take place "probably the 5th of March."

Democrats had responded to GOP efforts to install a Republican as speaker by refusing to show up for the new legislative session in an attempt to deny a quorum. Republicans say that only a plurality is needed for a quorum, while Democrats say a majority of 68 members must be present for the House to conduct business.

Democrats filed legal challenges with the state Supreme Court after Republicans voted to name Lisa Demuth as speaker last week, with oral arguments set for Thursday. Whether or not the court intervenes, though, Democrats now face the prospect of sustaining a much longer walkout than they'd originally expected.

Mayors & County Leaders

San Antonio, TX Mayor

America's seventh-most populous city will host its first open-seat race for mayor in 16 years this May, prompting nearly 20 candidates to take advantage of this rare opportunity. The eventual winner of this officially nonpartisan race could soon establish themselves as one of the most prominent Democrats in Texas—or flip this office to the GOP.

Officially, this post, which is currently held by termed-out Democrat Ron Nirenberg, has limited authority. The mayor instead represents one of 11 votes on the San Antonio City Council, which collectively appoints a powerful city manager.

However, past mayors have still worked within the confines of their jobs to make a name for themselves well outside of Alamo City.

One of the most notable was Henry Cisneros, who ran San Antonio in the 1980s and went on to become Bill Clinton's first secretary of housing and urban development—a role that made him one of the most prominent Latino politicians in the country.

More recently, Julian Castro became a star among both state and national Democrats following his 2009 victory in the city's last open-seat mayoral contest. Castro resigned in 2014 to take up Cisneros' former cabinet post under Barack Obama, and he remains influential years after his unsuccessful 2020 presidential bid.

Nirenberg, who identified as an independent until last year, had sought to follow in their footsteps, but his hopes for an administration role ended with Donald Trump's victory.

It's too early to pick a frontrunner to replace the outgoing mayor, especially since more candidates could still run ahead of the Feb. 14 deadline. Campaign finance reports released Wednesday, however, show that a trio of hopefuls are far ahead of the pack.

This select group consists of two Democrats: former Biden administration official Gina Ortiz Jones, who lost a pair of competitive races for the 23rd Congressional District in 2018 and 2020; and Beto Altamirano, whom the San Antonio Report last year described as "a longtime Democratic staffer who now owns a technology company."

On the Republican side, the lone standout is Rolando Pablos, who served as Texas' secretary of state (an appointed post) from 2017 to 2018. These three candidates—none of whom have won elected office—each ended 2024 with just over $130,000 in the bank.

The field also includes three City Council members—Melissa Cabello Havrda, Manny Pelaez, and Adriana Rocha Garcia—plus former member Clayton Perry. Rocha Garcia, Perry, and Cabello Havrda each had about $40,000 available, while Pelaez had just $13,000 banked.

Unlike their better-funded rivals, though, this foursome has won local office before. (Perry, who was one of the Council's most prominent conservatives, retired in 2023 before pleading no contest in a DWI and hit-and-run case.)

The new reports, however, don't tell the complete story. Another contender, real estate developer Robert Melvin, entered the race last week after the start of the new fundraising period, so it will be some time before we get a read on his finances or those of any other latecomers.

All the candidates will compete on a single ballot on May 3, but the sheer number of choices means it's all but certain that no one will earn the majority necessary to avert a June 7 runoff. Voters last year approved a ballot measure extending the term lengths for mayors and city council members from two years to four, though they remain limited to eight years in each office.