How Would Ohio Replace Vance in the Senate if Trump Wins in November?

Former President Donald J. Trump has selected Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio as his vice-presidential running mate. Should they win in November, Mr. Vance would vacate the Senate seat he won just two years ago with four years still left in his term, leaving it open.

Under Ohio law, Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican and former senator himself, would first appoint an interim replacement to serve in Mr. Vance’s seat until a special election could be held in November 2026.

The statute gives him wide latitude to select someone, specifying only that the individual be “some suitable person having the necessary qualifications for senator.” The governor told reporters in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention that he would not start considering an interim replacement until after the November election.

One name that immediately began circulating was that of the entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The Ohio native is a staunch supporter of Mr. Trump and told reporters he would “strongly consider” filling the seat if Mr. DeWine asked.

Other possibilities include Jane Timken, the former chair of the state G.O.P. who lost to Mr. Vance in the 2022 Senate primary; Representative Jim Jordan, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee; Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose; or state Senator Matt Dolan, who in March lost a primary against the Republican businessman Bernie Moreno for the chance to challenge Senator Sherrod Brown, the Democratic incumbent.

The appointee would serve until Dec. 15, 2026. Then, the winner of that year’s special election would finish the remainder of Mr. Vance’s term, which runs until the end of 2028. A regular election would be held in November 2028 for a full six-year term.