What will happen to JD Vance’s US Senate seat in January?

With JD Vance projected to become the next vice president of the United States, he is expected to leave his U.S. Senate seat in Ohio.
Once Vance vacates office, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine can appoint someone to fill the seat. DeWine, a Republican who also represented Ohio in the Senate until 2007, endorsed Donald Trump and Vance.
Vance was elected to the Senate in 2022 after being bolstered by Trump during a very competitive GOP primary. Many polls had Vance trailing in the GOP primary prior to Trump’s endorsement.
DeWine’s appointee will occupy the seat until late 2026. In November 2026, a special election will be held to decide who holds the seat for the final two years of the six-year term.
DeWine has not said who he would appoint to replace Vance.
“Congratulations to President Donald Trump and to our fellow Buckeye and Vice President-elect JD Vance on their election victory,” DeWine wrote on the social media platform X. “Congratulations to Ohio’s Senator-elect Bernie Moreno who will be part of a new Senate Republican majority in Washington!”
With Bernie Moreno defeating three-term incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown on Tuesday, both of Ohio’s Senate seats will be held by Republicans for the first time since 2007.
Vance will be sworn in as vice president on Jan. 20, 2025. After that, he can serve as the president of the Senate and act as a tiebreaking vote as vice president.
His presence as a tiebreaker might not been needed as much as his predecessor. With the U.S. Senate remaining close to evenly divided for the last four years, Vice President Kamala Harris cast a record 33 tiebreaking votes as vice president.
Vance will become the third vice president out of the last four to resign from the Senate to take office. In 2021, as Harris became vice president, Alex Padilla was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve nearly the rest of Harris’ term. He won a special election in 2022 to conclude the last two months of the six-year term. He also won a full six-year term in the Senate.
In 2009, Ted Kaufman was selected to fill the Delaware seat left by Joe Biden. Kaufman opted not to run in the 2010 special election to finish Biden’s senate term. Democrat Chris Coons ended up winning a 2010 special election to finish the final four years of Biden’s term. Coons has since earned reelection in 2014 and 2020.