Midwest
8 possible replacements that could be appointed by Ohio's governor to fill JD Vance's Senate seat
Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s new position as vice president-elect leaves an open Senate seat in the Buckeye State, where the state’s Republican governor will select his replacement from a growing list of possible choices.
State law dictates that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will select a Republican to take Vance’s spot in the Senate until a special election is held in November 2026 to determine who serves the rest of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028. The winner of that special election will then have to run again in 2028 in order to start a new six-year term.
“If Donald Trump is elected, then we will start our process to look at people and talk to people,” DeWine said last week. “Some people have already contacted me. I’ve already met with some people at their request.”
DeWine, widely regarded as part of the establishment wing of the Republican Party, is likely to face pressure from Trump loyalists to appoint a candidate in line with Trump’s agenda, while the more moderate wing of the party is likely to push more bipartisan candidates.
HERE’S HOW VP-ELECT JD VANCE’S SENATE SEAT WILL BE FILLED
Sen. JD Vance’s seat in the Senate will be determined by Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. (AP/Alex Brandon)
The list of potential replacements from President-elect Donald Trump’s world includes former presidential candidate and Ohio native Vivek Ramaswamy, who has previously floated interest in the position.
“Donald Trump has cultivated a coalition of outsiders and independent thinkers who will transform the federal government and revitalize our state and country,” Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “The best way to determine who and how they impact change won’t be sorted out in the press.”
State Sen. Matt Dolan, who ran in the primary against Bernie Moreno and is an ally of Gov. DeWine, has also been suggested to fill the seat.
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Vivek Ramaswamy gestures from the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
Dolan, whose family owns Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians, has served in the Ohio State Senate since 2017 and served in the Ohio House of Representatives for five years before that.
Jane Timken, an Ohio attorney who served as chair of the Ohio Republican Party from 2017 to 2021, is another potential Vance replacement.
“Ohio is proving to the nation the strength and caliber of leaders we have,” Ohio attorney and political commentator Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital.
“Governor DeWine has a historic opportunity to make lasting change by appointing a highly qualified woman who will not only elevate our state but consistently fight for its people—Jane Timken. As Ohio’s first female GOP Chair, she has demonstrated unwavering leadership, resilience, and a commitment to fairness, never compromising her values in the process.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks at a campaign stop at The Mandalay event center on Nov. 4, 2022 in Moraine, Ohio. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Other possibilities include Ohio’s Republican Gov. Frank LaRose, who also ran in the primary against Moreno, along with the state’s Republican Attorney General Dave Yost.
“I’m always ready to answer the call of duty, but I’m also focused right now on doing the job Ohioans hired me to do,” LaRose told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “We delivered another secure, accurate and accessible election for Ohio voters, and that work continues. We need to certify the results on an expedited timeline to accommodate the electoral college meeting next month.”
“We’re still working with our boards of elections to process absentee ballots and help voters cure provisional ballots. We’ve got a potential recount in one congressional district race. We’re also not letting up the pressure on the Biden administration to give us the federal citizenship records we need to ensure the accuracy of Ohio’s voter rolls. There’s a lot to be done. I know Governor DeWine has an important decision to make, and I’m confident he’ll do what’s in the best interest of Ohio.”
Ohio’s Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is also believed to be in the mix. A source familiar with Ohio politics told Fox News Digital that Husted is the most formidable Republican candidate statewide after delivering on key issues and that he is focused on the governorship but has publicly said he aims to remain in public service as long as he is wanted.
Yost, who WCMH-TV reported would not accept the position, told Fox News Digital in an interview this summer that he believes Husted would be an “excellent choice.”
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, right, speaks beside Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine during a news conference on June 2, 2022, in Avon Lake, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard, File)
Two Republicans currently serving in Congress, Rep. Mike Carey and Warren Davidson, are believed to be options as well.
Carey, who has strong relationships with both Trump and DeWine, reached out to DeWine shortly after Vance was selected, a source familiar with the discussion said this summer.
“While Congressman Carey is honored to be mentioned for the role, his focus is first and foremost on serving the people of Ohio’s Fifteenth Congressional District,” Carey Communications Director Theresa Braid told Fox News Digital.
DeWine press secretary Dan Tierney told Fox News Digital that the timing of the governor’s announcement will depend on when Vance officially vacates his Senate seat and that the governor plans to appoint a “workhorse.”
Tierney said DeWine will be looking for someone who is “qualified and ready to earn the trust of Ohio voters for another term.”
Tierney pointed to the fact that DeWine served in the Senate for 12 years himself and would hope the appointee would be ready to do the “hard work” of pushing legislation and “reaching across the aisle.”
Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
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Midwest
‘Family Mob’ gang members, associates charged in major Minneapolis fentanyl trafficking case: DOJ
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Five alleged members and associates of the “Family Mob” street gang have been charged in a major fentanyl trafficking case in Minneapolis, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Three indictments and two criminal complaints were unsealed in the District of Minnesota accusing the defendants of distributing fentanyl, crack cocaine and other controlled substances in south Minneapolis.
Authorities allege the group collectively possessed with intent to distribute more than seven kilograms of fentanyl since July 2025 and operated a de facto open-air drug market near Lake Street and Park Avenue, using force to push out other dealers.
Those charged include Silk Lamond Davis, 48, of Minneapolis; Alexisus Jarmon Mosby, 44, of Bloomington; Kiron Jamoll Williams, 43, of Minneapolis; Rashshon Jamahl Taggett, 44, of Minneapolis; and Lakendrick Darnell Gilliam, 38, of St. Paul.
Seized narcotics are displayed as authorities announce the preliminary results of a large-scale investigation involving local and federal agencies on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
The charges range from possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine to distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Law enforcement agencies executed multiple arrest and search warrants Wednesday morning targeting the gang and its members, officials said.
If convicted, the defendants face penalties of up to life in prison on the most serious drug trafficking charges.
FBI BUSTS LATIN KINGS GANG NATIONWIDE, NEARLY 50 ARRESTED IN SWEEPING CRACKDOWN
Federal and local law enforcement announced that they seized 3.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (KMSP)
“Our investigation shows that combined, those charged were responsible for the distribution of enough fentanyl for more than 3.5 million lethal doses in the last seven months,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen at a press briefing.
He told reporters that seven others were also taken into custody on related state charges, bringing the total number arrested to 12.
Rick Evanchec, interim special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office, said the coordinated operation to dismantle the “Family Mob” gang involved a sweeping, multi-agency effort across the metropolitan area.
Before dawn, eight SWAT teams and law enforcement personnel from the FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed 14 search warrants targeting narcotics, firearms and other evidence tied to the alleged criminal enterprise.
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Seized narcotics are displayed as authorities announce the preliminary results of a large-scale investigation involving local and federal agencies on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
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Evanchec said the gang has operated since the 1990s, distributing narcotics and using violence to control territory in Minneapolis neighborhoods.
“The Family Mob Gang ruled by intimidation and violence, and wrongly assumed they could operate with impunity,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said in a statement. “Today, the combined efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement imparted a significant blow to the drug trafficking efforts of a gang that has spread poison through a beloved Minneapolis community.”
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RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes will try to extend their point streak to a dozen games on Saturday, when they go head-to-head with the Detroit Red Wings.
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When: Saturday, February 28
Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More
Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App
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Canes Record: 37-15-6 (80 Points, 1st – Metropolitan Division)
Canes Last Game: 5-4 Win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Feb. 26
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Red Wings Record: 34-19-6 (74 Points, T-2nd – Atlantic Division)
Red Wings Last Game: 2-1 Win (OT) over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, Feb. 26
MILWAUKEE – Landmark Credit Union Live, Milwaukee’s newest concert venue, opened its doors on Friday. And with the Bucks playing next door at the same time, the whole area was hopping.
What they’re saying:
Fans flocked to Fiserv Forum to watch the team play the New York Knicks, and music lovers stood in line to see Rainbow Kitten Surprise on the opening night of Landmark Credit Union Live.
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“Very busy, very crowded the bars and restaurants,” said Ashley Evans. “That’d be great to add to the city again, to continue to bring more tourists out.”
“This is going to be amazing. I’ve been wanting to see them for a very long time, so I’m very excited,” said Rachel Lococo.
Fans line up for the official opening of Landmark Credit Union Live
Landmark Credit Union Live can host up to 4,500 people. Friday night’s show was sold out, drawing fans from places like Chicago, Minnesota, Iowa and elsewhere.
“Some people have driven from Indiana, so there’s a lot of people coming out tonight,” said Kade McCane, who came from Madison. “Honestly, really exciting to be among the first people who get to be there, and for RKS to be among the first people who will ever perform here, I hope this venue gets huge and big and becomes very popular.”
The excitement was felt all around Milwaukee. Even the competition rolled out the welcome mat.
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“Our goal to grow as a city means that a lot of things have to happen. This is the very, tiny, small work that has to happen,” said Gary Witt, president and CEO of The Pabst Theater Group, which runs six nearby venues.
“The introduction of any new business in the city, especially one that pays attention to the fact that we have spent 24 years growing the live culture economy in the city of Milwaukee, says to me that we’ve done our job.”
Witt said live entertainment is an industry Milwaukee’s economy has been dependent on coming from visitors like those who turned out Friday.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed the people in this story and referenced prior coverage related to the opening of Landmark Credit Union Live.
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