News

Gov. Mike DeWine shares thoughts on J.D. Vance Senate replacement

S.Brown43 min ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Election night in Ohio brought Republicans several wins, and while Gov. Mike DeWine said it was a good for the party, he has a message for its members.

"Bipartisanship, to some extent, is pretty much mandated if you want to get anything done," he said. "There will be differences of opinion. That's not going to change. But I think there are some areas that we ought to be able to reach some agreement on."

DeWine said one of those areas is that there should be agreement on is foreign affairs.

"At least for since World War II, that has been bipartisan. And we should try to, with some exceptions, we should try to keep that," DeWine said.

But DeWine said one of the largest undertakings for the federal government right now is immigration.

"We have had a long tradition in this country, going back decades, of letting people into this country who want to work and also people who were fleeing a country that was very dangerous to them or they were being politically or religiously oppressed," DeWine said. "I think that is what this country is all about. And I think we should be able to continue, we should be able to do that into the future."

DeWine said those groups that should be allowed in include people like the Haitian migrants in Springfield . Plus, he said they play a vital role adding to the economy.

"These are jobs that are helping to create more jobs. They're helping to drive the economy of Springfield," DeWine said. "They were being hired because there were no other people to fill those jobs. So that is that is that is the stark reality of this."

But he is already splitting hairs with the state's newest Senator-elect, Bernie Moreno . Moreno aligns with President-elect Donald Trump that the Temporary Protective Status (TPS) of those migrants should expire in February 2026 when it is meant to.

"I don't see a scenario in which that temporary protected status is extended," Moreno said. "I would not support any extension of temporary protected status. I would be vehemently opposed to that, actually."

Moreno said businesses in the state will have plenty of time to adjust before TPS expires. DeWine said no meaningful conversations can be had on who comes to the U.S. until the action is taken on the Southern border.

"Once that gets settled down, and I'm very hopeful that the Trump administration will be able to do that, once that gets settled down at the southern border, then we need to have a discussion about, okay, who do we think should come into this country," DeWine said. "What I do want to do is make certain that we have a strong, legal, robust immigration system that's on our terms," Moreno said. "We want to make sure that people come here, they learn English, they assimilate. They don't take government benefits for at least a decade."

Because Trump won re-election, that makes Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) now Vice-President elect. That means DeWine is now tasked with appointing someone to Vance's Senate seat for the time being.

"This is not for the faint-hearted. This is not for someone who just wants to get a seat," DeWine said. "This has to be someone who really wants to do the job and do the work and who we think has the ability to do it."

There are several possible picks, and DeWine said he has had several conversations on the topic, but he is staying tight-lipped about who he is considering. He did say that having previously held public office is not necessarily a factor.

"I served with people where that was sometimes their first elected job. I served with people who had had seven or eight different elected jobs," DeWine said. "Frankly, that diversity added to the discussions in the U.S. Senate, so having diverse backgrounds, I think is good."

While DeWine did not give away any hints as to who he is thinking of for the job, he said his second in command, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted (R-Ohio) already has a clear path.

"I've always said John Husted, based upon my six years working with him, he will be a great governor," DeWine said.

Husted has not directly answered whether he is interested in the U.S. Senate appointment, and DeWine said his endorsement of Husted for governor does not rule out an appointment.

Issue 1 on the ballot was a proposed change to the state's redistricting process. Before the election, DeWine opposed that amendment, but said out current system still needs some work. DeWine said his view on that has not changed.

"This should go through a legislative process, there should be public hearings. People should be able to come in and talk about how we should do that. So, this is what I'm encouraging the legislature to do," DeWine said.

DeWine said he thinks the commission should focus on making compact districts and pay no attention to past voting patterns or any politics. But DeWine said while he is urging the legislature to take action, he does not see any urgency.

"I don't know that there's a great rush to do it," he said. "I don't think we should be doing something overnight and rush, but I do think the process should start. And I put my two-cents in. I said what I think is the best way to do it."

0 Comments
0