In 2018, Husted launched a campaign for governor of Ohio but withdrew from the Republican primary to join Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's ticket as the candidate for lieutenant governor. DeWine and Husted were elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022.
On January 17, 2025, Husted was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy left by JD Vance after he became vice president. Husted was sworn in on January 21, 2025, and is running to complete the remainder of Vance's term in the 2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio. He won the Republican nomination in March 2026 and faces Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown in November.
Early life and education
Husted while in high school
Husted was born on August 25, 1967, in Royal Oak, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Shortly after his birth, he was put up for adoption, as his biological father did not want him and his biological mother was unable to care for him. He spent months in a Detroit foster home, and was then adopted by James and Judith Husted. He grew up in Montpelier, Ohio, the oldest of three children.
While completing his master's degree at the University of Dayton, Husted was offered a job on the football coaching staff at the University of Toledo, but instead chose to work on a local political campaign. He stayed in the Dayton area and worked for Montgomery County Commissioner Don Lucas. He later became Vice President of Business and Economic Development at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, a position he held until running for state representative in 2000.
Husted ran for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in 2000 in a five-way race to represent part of Montgomery County (which includes Dayton), defeating his closest opponent by more than 10% of the vote. He went on to serve as speaker of the Ohio House for several years until January 2009, when he became a state senator representing a larger part of Montgomery County.
During his time in the state legislature, Husted led passage of the largest income tax cut in Ohio history at the time. He also supported legislation that expanded school choice.
During his tenure as Ohio Secretary of State, Husted reduced the office's budget by $14.5 million and eliminated the jobs of approximately one-third of its staff. The office had operated with a surplus for several years, and Husted grew that surplus. In 2016, he requested that his office receive no taxpayer funding for the remainder of his term and instead use existing funds.
Election administration
As Ohio's chief elections official, Husted oversaw election administration policies including early voting schedules and rules governing absentee and provisional ballots. Voting rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, criticized some of these policies as restrictive and challenged them in court.
Shortly after taking office, Husted set uniform days and hours for early voting across the state, replacing a system that had allowed county boards of elections to set their own schedules. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Husted said the change was intended to ensure that voters were treated consistently across the state. Democratic officials, including Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern, criticized the change and said it could reduce access in some areas, while Republican officials said the directive provided adequate early voting opportunities.
In March 2016, the ACLU of Ohio sent Husted's office a letter about whether 17-year-olds who would turn 18 by the general election could vote in the presidential primary. The issue was subsequently litigated, and on March 11, an Ohio judge ruled that such voters could participate in the primary.
Husted was the defendant in litigation over Ohio's voter roll maintenance practices. In Husted v. Randolph Institute, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5–4 in favor of Ohio's procedures.
Business services
Husted partnered with Google's "Get Your Business Online" initiative to provide digital resources for small businesses. The business registration fee fell from $125 to $99.
In 2015, the secretary of state's office closed its in-house business call center and contracted services to the Cleveland Sight Center.
Opposition to pay-to-play for school extra-curricular activities
Husted expressed opposition to pay-to-participate fees for extracurricular activities in Ohio schools, including sports and band. He supported legislative efforts by State Senator Cliff Hite to restrict school districts' ability to charge participation fees, though the legislation did not advance.
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (2019–2025)
Husted's official lieutenant governor portrait taken in 2018
Husted ran in the Republican primary to succeed John Kasich as governor of Ohio. In November 2017, he ended his campaign and became Mike DeWine's running mate. After winning, DeWine announced that Husted would lead the newly created InnovateOhio to reduce bureaucracy (e.g. DeWine later said that that project identified about five million words to delete from the state regulatory code)..
In January 2021, Senator Rob Portman announced that he would not seek reelection, and Husted was considered a potential candidate. He later said he would not seek the seat.
In March 2026, Husted was involved in litigation regarding the FirstEnergy bribery scandal, which did not involve any charges of wrongdoing against him. He testified for the defense in the criminal trial of former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling related to the Ohio FirstEnergy bribery scandal, the largest corruption case in Ohio history. Testifying remotely, Husted said he was present at a dinner meeting in 2018 with then governor-elect DeWine and two FirstEnergy executives who were later indicted in a $60 million bribery scheme to pass House Bill 6, which provided $500 million in state bailout funds for nuclear and coal power plants.
In 2017, FirstEnergy had donated $1 million earmarked "Husted campaign" to Freedom Frontier, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that does not disclose its donors. A Husted spokesperson said that the campaign had not received the donation. FirstEnergy also donated $2.5 million to a dark-money nonprofit, State Solutions, that supported Husted's and DeWine's 2018 campaigns.
The FirstEnergy scandal led to a 20-year sentence for former Ohio House of Representatives speaker Larry Householder and charges for three others involved in bribery in 2021. Husted's 2026 testimony was part of a related trial of FirstEnergy executives that resulted in a mistrial in March 2026 and is scheduled for retrial in September 2026.
U.S. Senate (2025–present)
Appointment
On January 17, 2025, Governor DeWine announced his appointment of Husted to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by JD Vance following his resignation to serve as vice president of the United States. Husted had originally declined the potential appointment and intended to run for governor in 2026.
In 2025, Husted sponsored a Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal a Biden administration rule related to energy efficiency standards for household appliances. The rule, issued by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2024, established updated certification, labeling, and enforcement requirements for various appliances, including air conditioners, washing machines, and pool heaters.
The resolution passed the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2025 and the U.S. Senate in April, and was signed into law in May by Donald Trump. The repeal eliminated federal requirements for certification and labeling tied to the rule, as well as associated compliance and reporting obligations for manufacturers.
Supporters of the repeal, including Husted, argued that the rule imposed unnecessary regulatory burdens on manufacturers and could increase costs for consumers. Opponents contended that removing the requirements could weaken federal energy efficiency standards and reduce long-term consumer savings associated with more efficient appliances.
Committee assignments
Husted was assigned to the following committees for the 2025–2026 term:
Husted has supported school choice policies in Ohio, including charter schools and programs that expand access to private and religious education.
Husted was among Ohio officials who received campaign contributions from individuals associated with the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), a large online charter school that later closed amid findings that it had overreported student attendance.
Elections
As Ohio Secretary of State, Husted described his approach to elections as making it "easy to vote and hard to cheat", and supported policies including standardized early voting hours and voter roll maintenance practices.
↑"GOP Lincoln Dinner Set March 10". The Daily Advocate. February 27, 2007. Thus far in the House, Husted led the legislative effort … that included a 21 percent income tax cut --- the largest income tax cut in Ohio history. Additionally, he has championed efforts to improve education by expanding school choice options for Ohio children and families.{{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
↑Peizer, Jeremy (January 27, 2023). "DeWine Asks for an Editor. Must be Skilled in Ctrl+X". The Plain Dealer'. During a news conference, DeWine said employees with Lt. Gov. Jon Husted's Common Sense Initiative identified more than 5 million words among the 17.4 million-word administrative code that are either outdated, redundant or unnecessary.
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