Republican governor. mike devine An Ohio lawyer and Trump surrogate is being considered to fill Vice President-elect J.D. Vance’s Senate seat after he leaves office and moves into the White House, Fox News Digital has learned.
A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that attorney Mehek Cook, a Republican lawyer who served as a political and legal surrogate for Trump in 2024, is being considered for selection to fill Vance’s seat. Used to be.
Cook, known as a prolific fundraiser in the state of Ohio, has appeared on Fox News and was a vocal supporter of President-elect Trump During the 2024 campaign, where he won Ohio by 11 points, his support in the state is seen as carrying a significant amount of importance.
State law dictates that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine select a Republican to replace Vance in the Senate unless a special election is held in November 2026 to determine who will serve out the remainder of Vance’s term. Who will complete, which will end in 2028.
The winner of that special election must run again in 2028 to begin a new six-year term.
Cook, who ran for the Ohio House of Representatives in 2020, spent time as assistant chief counsel in the Office of the Ohio Governor from 2012 to 2014 and in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, where she prosecuted criminal cases involving corruption, terrorism, Handled matters. , drug trafficking, asset confiscation, and money laundering.
Cook, a wife and mother of two, was born in India and legally immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of 5.
Cook is also the founder and president of American Frontier Strategies and has worked as a political consultant and commentator in the state of Ohio.
Marty Savco, president of earth moving company Savco & Sons, which has been in business in Columbus, Ohio, for 75 years, told Fox News Digital that Cook is “absolutely 100% in touch with both the average man and wife” in Ohio “.
“He’s a proud American citizen, he’s proud of this country and he has a very kind heart and he realizes that not everyone has the same opportunities. She believes strongly in what is right and what is wrong and you know where she stands.”
“He’s not part of a clique, like some people get to Washington or even get to the state house here in Ohio, and they become part of a clique, and they vote with the clique. No, she’s a person with her own determination and what she feels is best for everyone involved, and she’s honest, extremely honest, extremely candid.
Savco, a major Trump donor, told Fox News Digital that Cook is a “fighter” just like the last two senators, JD Vance and Bernie Moreno, who have been elected statewide.
Multiple sources close to the situation told Fox News Digital that elevating women is important to DeWine and that he would like to appoint a woman to the seat, although gender is not a deciding factor.
Republican Jane Timken, an Ohio attorney who served as chair of the Ohio Republican Party from 2017 to 2021, is also widely considered another potential Vance replacement.
Other candidates reportedly in the mix include Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Republican Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, Attorney General Dave Yost, Treasurer Robert Sprague and State Senator Matt Dolan.
Yost, who has said he will not accept the position, and Husted are believed to be focused on the upcoming governor’s race to replace DeWine. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was floated as a possibility, but he recently accepted a position in the Trump administration Withdrawn his name.
Three Republicans currently serving in Congress – Representatives Mike Carey, David Joyce and Warren Davidson – are also considered options.
Kerry, who has strong relationships with both Trump and DeWine, contacted DeWine shortly after Vance’s selection, a source familiar with the discussions said this summer.
DeWine, who is viewed as part of the Republican establishment, will face the balancing act of appointing someone highly respected by both the Trump base and the more moderate wing of the party.
Sources told Fox News Digital that DeWine’s decision is not imminent and will be announced whenever Vance officially vacates his seat.
Spokespeople for Cook and DeWine’s office declined to comment.
DeWine’s press secretary Dan Tierney told Fox News Digital earlier this month that the timing of the governor’s announcement will depend on when Vance officially vacates his Senate seat and whether the governor plans to appoint a “workhorse.” Have been.
Tierney said DeWine would be looking for a “workhorse” who is “qualified and ready to earn the trust of Ohio voters for the next term.”
(Tags to translate)Politics(T)US News(T)JD Vance(T)Ohio(T)Senate
