Who could be Ohio’s next U.S. senator? The Wake Up for Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024

When JD Vance steps into the office of the vice president, who will fill his role in the U.S. Senate?

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will pick Vance's replacement — and he can choose from a deep bench of well-known Republicans, including U.S. representatives, statewide officeholders and former candidates for the Senate.

"I've been contacted by some people and I've been contacted by more people who have ideas about who it should be on this," DeWine said during the Republican National Convention in July.

Whoever DeWine picks, the candidate would have to stand for reelection in 2026.

— Laura

Overnight Scores and WeatherCavs at New Orleans Pelicans: Cavs make franchise history, stay unbeaten with 131-122 win over New Orleans Pelicans

Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Sunny and cooler

Top StoriesReplacing Vance: With U.S. Sen. JD Vance's election as vice president on Tuesday, Ohio political eyes are now on Gov. Mike DeWine to see who he'll appoint to fill Vance's Senate seat. Jeremy Pelzer reports that while DeWine has been characteristically closed-lipped about which of his fellow Republicans he'll choose to fill Vance's seat, there are no shortage of potential candidates who would love to be launched into one of the most powerful jobs in the nation.

Redistricting issue: Republican Donald Trump set the pace Tuesday for just about every statewide race in Ohio when he carried the state by 11 points. Robert Higgs reports vote totals for Issue 1, the anti-gerrymandering proposal, had a similar spread, an eight-point defeat of 46% to 54%, suggesting that straight-ticket partisan voting might have been a factor in the issue's defeat even though Ohioans previously have said they opposed gerrymandering.

Today in Ohio: Donald Trump won big in Ohio, while Sherrod Brown and Issue 1 went down. We're talking election results on Today in Ohio , cleveland.com 's daily half-hour news podcast.

Statehouse and PoliticsCuyahoga results: In Cuyahoga County, 41 of the 59 cities, villages and townships voted in favor of Kamala Harris, reports Zachary Smith . Countywide, Harris carried the election in the county with 65.3% of the vote, yet Trump ran strong across the southern part of the county, unofficial election results released Wednesday by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections showed.

Sherrod Brown: While Bernie Moreno was part of the red wave in Ohio, Cuyahoga County once again supported U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown — this time with 51 of the 59 cities, villages, and townships voting in favor of a fourth term, Zachary Smith reports . Cuyahoga County once again was the biggest Democratic stronghold in Ohio in a night otherwise dominated by the Republicans.

Bernie Moreno: After never before holding public office, former Cleveland-area car-dealership owner Bernie Moreno is about to become a U.S. Senator following his defeat of longtime Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in a tidal election for Republicans. Sabrina Eaton encapsulates Moreno's background.

Supreme Court: Justice Jennifer Brunner is now the lone Democrat on a seven-member bench for the Ohio Supreme Court, Jake Zuckerman reports . Her term ends in 2026, raising the question: Can Democrats win again on the state's high court?

School taxes: About half of all school levies on ballots in Ohio passed in the general election, a precipitous drop from a year ago when 70% were approved, according to the Ohio School Boards Association. Of the 142 levies on the November ballot, 72 passed, reports Laura Hancock .

Northeast Ohio NewsPrescribed fires: The National Park Service says it's planning three "prescribed" fires over the next several weeks in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, reports Cliff Pinckard . The first fire will occur today, when about 40 acres will be burned at the former site of Richfield Coliseum along Ohio 303 near the interchange with Interstate 271.

Yard signs: The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District is urging residents drop off their leftover campaign yard signs to be recycled, reports Molly Walsh .

Schron vs. Schleper: One key Cuyahoga County race remains a toss-up, reports Kaitlin Durbin . Cuyahoga County Council incumbent Jack Schron is currently trailing his Democrat opponent, Robert Schleper Jr., by just 17 votes in District 6, covering the southeastern part of the county. Schleper has 30,393 votes to Schron's 30,376, unofficial results show.

Youth sports: Shaker Heights officials will consider a proposal for the city and schools to create a new position to promote and expand access to youth sports in the city. City Council's Recreation Committee will hear a presentation on the two bodies splitting the cost of hiring a Youth Sports Administrator, reports Cory Shaffer .

: Compost is a mixture of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land. Raw organic waste becomes a nutrient-rich soil amendment when properly composted. Lois Rose explains how it works .

Healthcare and BusinessHeart disease: An Ohio State University study found that almost 6-in-10 Americans eat foods that promote inflammation in the body, increasing the risk heart disease and cancer, reports Julie Washington . Researchers also found that certain populations – including Black Americans, men and low-income people – were more likely to eat a diet high in foods that promote inflammation.

: Walmart has launched InHome delivery in the Cleveland area, reports Megan Sims . Cleveland Walmart+ members are now able to have groceries, presents and other items delivered to their homes through InHome delivery.

Cedar Point: Attendance at Cedar Point and other Six Flags parks jumped 20% in October, the result of terrific fall weather and the increasing popularity of Halloween-themed events at the recently enlarged amusement park company, reports Susan Glaser .

Crime and Courts: The FBI says a Cleveland man tried to build a criminal enterprise called "Felonation" on the foundation of robberies and drug dealing, reports Adam Ferrise . Damien Sample, 48, planned to grow his operation by illegally buying guns, robbing people and using stolen money to buy drugs to sell to dealers.

Building fraud: A homebuilder accused of stealing $750,000 from customers over a two-year span is facing several felony charges, reports Sean McDonnell . Christopher Tsonton, 53, of Cleveland, is charged with defrauding several customers.

Suspect sought: A warrant was issued this week for a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Cleveland woman inside of her home in March. Olivia Mitchell reports authorities are seeking John Booth, 47, in the slaying of Tosha Williams, 45.

Orange vandalism: A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted a man Monday on charges of ethnic intimidation and vandalism in the spray-painting of a swastika on a resident's home in Orange. Olivia Mitchell reports Ryan Kellogg, 37, is accused of eight felonies, including menacing by stalking, involving two incidents in the village.

Pizza shooting: A Garfield Heights man was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison Wednesday for fatally shooting a man at a Pizza Hut, reports Lucas Daprile .

Arts and EntertainmentCrocker Park: Crocker Park is set to host its annual tree lighting, holiday block party and other festivities, reports Marc Bona . The lighting of a 50-foot tree is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 23, preceded by a festive block party at 4 p.m.

Thanksgiving takeout: For those interested in placing to-go orders ahead of Thanksgiving day, Alex Darus lists 26 restaurants offering pickup options for Thanksgiving dinner.

Art repair: Feeling a bit of an election cycle hangover? You're not alone. Cleveland Institute of Art's Reinberger Gallery might just have the cure with "Possibility for Repair," a new group show that channels the heightened sense of fear and conflict into creative works, reports Peter Chakerian .

Things to do: It won't be long before this weekly list will be populated almost exclusively with holiday events. Until then, Joey Morona lists 15 events , including theater performances, concerts and more.

You're all caught up Don't forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com . If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming a cleveland.com subscriber .

— Curated by content director Laura Johnston with contributions by by Cliff Pinckard.

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