Sources close to Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine told Newsmax on Wednesday morning that, assuming Sen. J.D. Vance is elected vice president, he will appoint longtime friend and State Sen. Matt Dolan to fill his Senate seat until a special election is held in 2026.
To MAGA Republicans and conservatives in general, the thought of "establishment Republican" Dolan in the Senate is nothing short of an outrage.
The Cuyahoga County lawmaker, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians) baseball team, lost two contested primaries for the Senate — in 2022 to Vance and in 2024 to Trump friend and wealthy car dealer Bernie Moreno (who was elected to Ohio's other Senate seat Tuesday).
In both races, Donald Trump endorsed Vance over Dolan and Moreno over Dolan. Whether Trump and Vance would weigh in against the tapping of Dolan is uncertain.
DeWine and Dolan are considered close friends and the governor supported both of Dolan's losing Senate bids.
For his part, DeWine is saying nothing about who he might appoint to an open Senate seat.
"It has to be someone who can raise money to run in a primary in 2026 and the special election, and then swing right into the election [for a full term] in 2028," DeWine told Newsmax during the Republican National Convention in July.
Pressed as to whether he was thinking of any names in particular, DeWine simply said "No."
Two Republican U.S. Representatives already being boomed for the appointment are Reps. David Joyce and Mike Carey — both considered strong Trump loyalists. Joyce, 67, has voted with Trump 91% of the time but is considered more of an "establishment" Republican. Former coal lobbyist Carey, 53, won a special election in 2021 with Trump's early endorsement.
By far the most intriguing prospect would be former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio resident who is a multimillionaire and thus could meet DeWine's criterion of a crack fundraiser.
Ramaswamy has been a close friend of Vance and his wife since their days at Yale Law School.
Regardless of who gets the appointment, Democrats are almost sure to plan a strong special election campaign. Former Rep. Tim Ryan, who drew a strong 47% against Vance in 2022, is considered the Democrats' "best bet."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.