Jon Husted
Jon Husted (born 1967) is an American Republican politician who served as speaker of the Ohio House, Ohio secretary of state and lieutenant governor of Ohio before being appointed to the U.S. Senate from Ohio in January 2025. On November 3, 2026, he lost Ohio’s U.S. Senate special election to Democrat Sherrod BrownSherrod BrownSherrod Brown (born 1952) is an American Democratic politician who served as Ohio secretary of state and as a U.S. representative, and represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate from 2007 to 2025, chairing the Senate Banking Committee. On November 3, 2026, he defeated Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio’s U.S. Senate special election.Open the full entry.
Contents13 sections
Key facts
1967Birth and Early Life
Jon Husted was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, in 1967.[1]
He began life in foster care and was later adopted; the oldest of three children, he grew up in Williams County in northwest Ohio and graduated from Montpelier High School.[2]
1989–1993University of Dayton
Husted earned a bachelor’s degree in education (1989) and a master’s degree in communications (1993) from the University of Dayton.[1]
As a student he played defensive back on the football team and helped the University of Dayton Flyers win the 1989 Division III national championship.[2]
1993–2000Early Career in the Dayton Area
2000–2009Ohio House and Speakership
Husted was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2000 and served there from 2001 to 2009, including as speaker from 2005 to 2009.[2][1]
His Senate website lists the EdChoice Scholarship program, state tax cuts and lower business start-up costs among his work in the state legislature.[2]
2009–2011Ohio Senate
From 2009 to 2011 Husted served in the Ohio State Senate.[1]
2011–2019Ohio Secretary of State
The 2018 U.S. Supreme Court case Husted v. Philip Randolph Institute, which concerned the maintenance of Ohio’s voter rolls, named Husted as secretary of state.[2]
2018–2025Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
In 2018 Husted ran for lieutenant governor as Mike DeWine’s running mate: they won the May 8 Republican primary with 59.8% of the vote, and on November 6 DeWine and Husted received 50.4% to 46.7% for the Democratic ticket of Cordray and Sutton.[1]
On November 8, 2022, DeWine and Husted were re-elected with 62.4% of the vote to 37.4% for the Democratic ticket of Whaley and Stephens. Husted served as lieutenant governor until 2025.[1]
As lieutenant governor he expanded career technical education and the TechCred job-training program.[2]
January 2025Appointment to the U.S. Senate
After JD Vance became vice president of the United States, Ohio Governor DeWine appointed Husted in January 2025 to fill the Senate vacancy Vance left.[3]
On January 21, 2025, Husted, escorted by Bernie Moreno and DeWine, was sworn in on the Senate floor, with the oath administered by the vice president.[4]
In the 119th Congress he served on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; Environment and Public Works; and Appropriations committees. His Senate website lists his work as including border security, law enforcement funding, fentanyl enforcement, protections for women’s sports and protecting children from online predators.[2]
August 2025–May 2026Special Election Primary Phase
In August 2025 former Senator Sherrod Brown announced a bid in the 2026 special election to challenge Husted.[5]
On May 5, 2026, Husted faced no challengers in the Republican primary.[6]
November 2026Special Election Defeat
Just after 11 p.m. on election night, November 3, 2026, the Associated Press called Ohio’s U.S. Senate special election for BrownBrown UniversityBrown University is a private nonprofit research university in Providence, Rhode Island, and a member of the Ivy League. Chartered by Rhode Island's colonial legislature in 1764, it is known for its undergraduate Open Curriculum, which has no common required core. Christina H. Paxson, president since July 2012, announced on August 3, 2026, that the 2026–27 academic year would be her last in office. As of October 1, 2026, the search for Brown's 20th president remained underway.Open the full entry. With about 87% of the vote counted, Brown had 48.6% and Husted 46.5%; Libertarian Bill Redpath and independent Gregory Levy were also on the ballot.[3][1]
On November 4 Husted conceded the seat to Brown.[7]
Personal Life
Husted and his wife, Tina, have three children and live in Columbus.[2]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Office of U.S. Senator Jon Husted: Official website: https://www.husted.senate.gov/ (opens in a new window).[2]
X: Public account: https://x.com/SenJonHusted (opens in a new window).[2]
YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEylCVt26nB7Qz2O3K-fvLw (opens in a new window).[2]
Sources
- Jon Husted (opens in a new window)
- About - Senator Jon Husted (opens in a new window)
- Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown wins U.S. Senate seat in comeback election (opens in a new window)
- Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 12 (Tuesday, January 21, 2025) (opens in a new window)
- Sherrod Brown to challenge U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (opens in a new window)
- Sherrod Brown, who lost seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024, wins Ohio US Senate Democratic primary (opens in a new window)
- Sen. John Husted concedes seat to Sherrod Brown (opens in a new window)