One of the leading candidates to fill Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat recently traveled to President-elect Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence as a decision from the state’s governor draws closer.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine traveled to Trump’s Florida home with fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who is believed to be a top candidate to replace Vance, in recent days, although the specifics of any conversation are unclear, News 5 Cleveland first reported, and Fox News Digital has confirmed.

State law dictates that 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 will serve the rest of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028. The winner of that special election could then run again in 2028 in order to start a new six-year term. 

Multiple sources told Fox News Digital that a final decision on the Senate appointment is expected in the next few weeks as the new Congress will be sworn in on Jan. 3. 

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DeWine’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

The Governor’s spokesperson, Dan Tierney, told Fox News Digital last month that DeWine will be looking for a “workhorse” who is “qualified and ready to earn the trust of Ohio voters for another term.”

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 Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted speaks during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2024.  (Getty Images)

Fox News Digital previously reported that DeWine is considering, along with Husted, several candidates for Senate, including attorney Mehek Cooke, Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken, Rep. Mike Carey and others.

“Governor DeWine has a crucial decision ahead in selecting Ohio’s next Senator,” Cooke told Fox News Digital on Friday night. “If Jon is the workhorse he picks, he is the right choice.”

“He’s battle-tested, with decades of experience fighting for Ohioans and securing a stronger future for our state. If Jon is the pick, I’m 100% behind him—there’s too much at stake, and we need someone who will put Ohio first. It was an honor to interview with the Governor, and he knows my commitment is to always put Ohio’s interests first.”

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An endorsement from Trump and Vance will be critical for any DeWine appointment, given that both are popular in the Buckeye State, where their ticket won by 11 points in November. 

Husted has served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor since 2019 after serving eight years as Secretary of State and a member of both the state Senate and Ohio House of Representatives before that.

Husted has widely been expected to run for governor to replace DeWine, and his team has recently taken steps to allocate resources to that race. Sources tell Fox News Digital that former presidential candidate Vivek Ramawamy’s interest in running for governor has caused some potential gubernatorial candidates to re-evaluate their options, given Ramaswamy’s deep pockets.

Husted has remained tight-lipped about the potential Senate appointment other than to say, “I will continue serving this state as long as the people of Ohio will have me. As for the future, I intend to make my plans known early next year.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Following a disappointing loss against the Utah Jazz on Thursday, the Detroit Pistons will get an opportunity to get back on track with a matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.

Fortunately for Detroit, they will be getting a reinforcement as the veteran guard, Jaden Ivey, has been cleared to return to action.

Leading up to Saturday’s game, the Pistons listed Ivey on the injury report as probable. Barring any unexpected changes, he had a great chance to return to the court, which will once again change up the Pistons’ starting five.

Ivey’s recent knee concerns started on Monday when the Pistons hosted the Miami Heat. Although Ivey wasn’t believed to be dealing with any setbacks beforehand, he was shockingly ruled out right before the game tipped off.

At the time, Ivey was dealing with sudden soreness in his knee. The Pistons didn’t risk trotting him out on the court to play through it. He got the night off as the Pistons took care of business in an overtime thriller with the Heat.

Before the Pistons faced the Jazz, Detroit head coach JB Bickerstaff noted that Ivey’s timeline was day-to-day, which suggested he could be back on the court sooner rather than later.

After missing two games, Ivey is back in the mix. He’s off to a nice start this season, averaging 17 points on 44 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He’s also dishing out four assists per game, while coming down with a career-high four rebounds per game.

Ivey and the Pistons will tip-off against the Suns at 9 PM ET.

MILWAUKEE – The holidays came early on Milwaukee’s north side on Saturday, Dec. 21

At “We Got This Garden” near 9th and Ring, kids were able to pick out gifts to give to a parent, guardian, or other family members.

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“Around this time of the year, parents, guardians loved ones – they want to make their kids feel as special as they can,” said Meg Bruzan, team leader with We Got This Milwaukee. “We thought it would just be really great for kids to be able to give back a little bit to those families that do so much every single day of the year.”

The event was new this year. It was made possible due to donations, which the organization accepts online. 

In the summer, “We Got This Garden” welcomes neighborhood kids to learn the basics of gardening – and earn some money in the process. 

Data shows that the 53206 area is one of the most incarcerated ZIP codes in the nation. There are also health and poverty concerns.