Premiere on Fox: Ohio’s newest senator, Lt. Gov.-elect Jon Husted, wants to put the country “on a more fiscally responsible path” and brings his years of state government experience to the Senate.
"Look, as a fiscal conservative, I've always wanted to put America on a more fiscally responsible path, and I've wanted to keep government out of people's lives," he told Fox in his first exclusive interview since being appointed by the Ohio Republican Party News Digital Channel Gov. Mike DeWine will be the next senator.
Husted will take over the Senate seat vacated by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and will run in a special election in 2026 to determine who will serve out the remainder of his term.
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Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was named the next Ohio senator on Friday. (Getty Images)
The lieutenant governor said he plans to run in 2026 and again in 2028 when Vance's seat is up for re-election.
As a "fiscal conservative", President-elect Trump's desire to raise the debt ceiling will be a test that Hurst will inevitably face when he arrives in the Senate.
"Look, once I'm sworn in, I'm going to discuss all of these issues," he said.
“In state government, we have to balance the budget,” Husted explained.
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On April 23, 2024, Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance walked into the Senate House on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
"If you want to cut taxes, you have to cut spending. That's what I'm used to. That's the attitude I took as I became a U.S. senator."
He acknowledged that America's debt and spending problems cannot be solved with a "magic wand," but added that "you have to start somewhere."
Husted's appointment comes as the Trump transition team is currently moving forward with key Cabinet nominations. Many of them have been meeting with senators for months ahead of confirmation hearings and committee votes.
"I think it's a good slate of nominees," he told Fox News Digital when asked if he would be included in the process.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine selected Husted as his Senate candidate. (Reuters)
"Remember, I will be filling Vance's seat. I am an ally of the Trump administration and I will help support these nominees and get them confirmed as quickly as possible," the senator-elect stressed.
The first confirmation vote for Trump's nominee is expected to take place Monday night after the inauguration.
It's unclear who will run against Husted in the 2026 special election, but the seat is expected to be one of Democrats' top targets after losing it to former Sen. Sherrod Brown in November.
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Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown walks through the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in July. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Brown, who has been speculated to be a candidate for Vance's seat, previously dismissed a question from Fox News Digital about whether he would launch a campaign.
"The start of the 2026 cycle is fast approaching," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesman David Bergstein said in a statement after news of Husted's appointment broke on Friday. Identified by new vulnerabilities in an already challenging map for Senate Republicans, Ohio’s special-case election adds another seat and another controversial candidate that Republicans must protect — meaning Senate Republicans will. It’s the start of a cycle where you have to be more defensive.”