Jon Allen Husted ( HEW-sted; born August 25, 1967) is an American politician serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2019 to 2025 as the 66th lieutenant governor of Ohio and from 2011 to 2019 as the 50th Ohio secretary of state.
A graduate of the University of Dayton, Husted began his political career in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served from 2001 to 2009. During his last four years in the chamber, he was the 99th speaker of the House. He served in the Ohio Senate from 2009 to 2011 before serving as secretary of state.
In 2018, Husted launched a campaign for governor of Ohio but withdrew from the Republican primary to join Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's ticket as the candidate for lieutenant governor. DeWine and Husted were elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022.
On January 17, 2025, Husted was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy left by JD Vance after he became vice president. Husted was sworn in on January 21, 2025, and is running to complete the remainder of Vance's term in the 2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio. He won the Republican nomination in March 2026 and faces Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown in November.
Husted was born on August 25, 1967, in Royal Oak, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Shortly after his birth, he was put up for adoption, as his biological father did not want him and his biological mother was unable to care for him. He was adopted by James and Judith Husted, and raised in Montpelier, Ohio, as the oldest of three children.
Husted graduated from Montpelier High School in 1985. He earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree from the University of Dayton.
While completing his master's degree at the University of Dayton, Husted was offered a job on the football coaching staff at the University of Toledo, but instead chose to work on a local political campaign. He stayed in the Dayton area and worked for Montgomery County Commissioner Don Lucas. He later became Vice President of Business and Economic Development at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, a position he held until running for state representative in 2000.
Husted ran for office in 2000 in a five-way race, defeating his closest opponent by more than 12% of the vote. He went on to serve as speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives and a state senator.
Secretary of State of Ohio (2011–2019)
Husted was elected Ohio Secretary of State in 2010, defeating Democratic nominee Maryellen O'Shaughnessy by nearly 500,000 votes. He was reelected in 2014, defeating Democratic nominee Nina Turner by over 700,000 votes.
During his tenure as Ohio Secretary of State, Husted reduced the office's budget by $14.5 million and eliminated the jobs of approximately one-third of its staff. The office had operated with a surplus for several years. In 2016, Husted requested that his office receive no taxpayer funding for the remainder of his term and instead use existing funds.
As Ohio's chief elections official, Husted oversaw election administration policies including early voting schedules and rules governing absentee and provisional ballots. Voting rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, criticized some of these policies as restrictive and challenged them in court.
Shortly after taking office, Husted set uniform days and hours for early voting across the state, replacing a system that had allowed county boards of elections to set their own schedules. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Husted said the change was intended to ensure that voters were treated consistently across the state. Democratic officials, including Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern, criticized the change and said it could reduce access in some areas, while Republican officials said the directive provided adequate early voting opportunities.
In March 2016, the ACLU of Ohio sent Husted's office a letter about whether 17-year-olds who would turn 18 by the general election could vote in the presidential primary. The issue was subsequently litigated, and on March 11, an Ohio judge ruled that such voters could participate in the primary.
Husted was the defendant in litigation over Ohio's voter roll maintenance practices. In Husted v. Randolph Institute, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5–4 in favor of Ohio's procedures.
Husted partnered with Google's "Get Your Business Online" initiative to provide digital resources for small businesses.
In 2015, the secretary of state's office closed its in-house business call center and contracted services to the Cleveland Sight Center.
Opposition to pay-to-play for school extra-curricular activities