Jon Husted

Jon Allen Husted ( ; born August 25, 1967) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Ohio since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, Husted served as the 66th lieutenant governor of Ohio from 2019 to 2025 and as the 50th secretary of state of Ohio from 2011 to 2019.

Husted represented the 6th District of the Ohio Senate (a portion of Montgomery County) from 2009 to 2011 and was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009. From 2005 to 2009, he served as Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. He was elected Ohio Secretary of State in 2010 and reelected in 2014. Husted was a candidate in the Republican primary for governor of Ohio in the 2018 election, but later announced that he would instead run for lieutenant governor of Ohio as Attorney General Mike DeWine's running mate.

On January 17, 2025, Governor DeWine appointed Husted to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat created by the resignation of JD Vance, who became vice president. He was sworn in on January 21, 2025. He will serve until a special election in November 2026, the winner of which will serve the remainder of Vance's term.

Early life and education

Husted was born in the Detroit area in 1967 and immediately placed for adoption. He has said that 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. His father was a machine operator. Husted cites his experience having been adopted as a child as the foundation for his staunch opposition to abortion.

Husted graduated from Montpelier High School in 1985. He later received both a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Dayton, where he played on the Dayton Flyers Football team. In his senior year, the team won the 1989 NCAA Division III National Championship Game in Phenix City, Alabama.

Early career

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 over 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

Husted was elected Ohio Secretary of State in 2010, defeating Democratic nominee Maryellen O'Shaughnessy by nearly 500,000 votes. In this role, Husted served as the state's chief elections official. The office also serves as the filing location for new businesses in Ohio.

Husted was reelected in 2014, defeating Democratic nominee Nina Turner by over 700,000 votes.

Financial management

A fiscal conservative, Husted cut his office's budget by $14.5 million during his first term and reduced the size of his staff by a third. After running a surplus for the first six years of his two terms as Secretary of State, he made the unprecedented request to have his office's taxpayer funding eliminated for the rest of his term, opting instead to spend down his office's savings.

Voting issues

As the top election official in Ohio, Husted, like his recent predecessors, was at the center of a number of voting rights controversies, including those over the days and hours of early voting and the rules for filling out absentee and provisional ballots.
Voting rights groups have accused Husted of voter-suppression tactics; Husted has said that his goal is to make it "both easy to vote and hard to cheat".

Shortly after taking office, Husted set uniform days and hours for voting across the state, replacing a system that allowed each county board of elections to set its own days and hours for early voting. Chris Redfern, then Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, said Husted had been looking for a way to chip away at the number of days and hours. The Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted Husted during a press conference as saying, "The bottom line is the antagonists have made an issue about the fact that voters aren't being treated fairly, that they aren't being treated the same. Today we're treating voters everywhere the same."

Democrats complained that Husted's uniform hours would disenfranchise urban voters with long lines and curtailed access, while Republicans said the directive provided for ample early voting hours.

The Pew Charitable Trust's Elections Performance Index shows fluctuations in Ohio's average wait times compared to other states during Husted's term (2011-2019). The state ranked 29th out of the 50 states plus D.C. in 2012, then rose to 13th in 2014 before falling to 21st in 2016 and then rising to 17th in 2018. The state's ranking has continued to fluctuate since Husted left office, finishing 34th in 2020 and 24th in 2022.

On March 7, 2016, objecting to a distinction drawn in the Secretary of State's Official Election Manual between "electing" and "nominating" presidential candidates, the ACLU of Ohio sent Husted's office a letter saying that Ohio law permitted 17-year-olds to vote in the 2016 presidential primary on March 15 if they would turn 18 by the time of the general election in November. Noting that some precincts had been turning 17-year-olds away while others had been permitting them to vote, the ACLU of Ohio requested that Husted issue a directive making those voters' eligibility clear. On March 9, lawyers on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders filed a lawsuit against Husted's office. On March 11, an Ohio judge ruled that 17-year-olds could vote in the primary if they would be 18 by the general election.

During his tenure as Secretary of State, Husted was the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the A. Philip Randolph Institute and others under a law governed by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act. The plaintiffs challenged the practices Ohio was using for removing voters from the rolls. The case reached the Supreme Court, where, in '' Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute'', the justices ruled 5-4 in Husted's favor.

Business services

All Ohio businesses are required to maintain a business registration with the Secretary of State's Office and the business services division was the focus of a large number of changes after Husted took office in 2011. In 2013, he launched the Ohio Business Central program, which allowed businesses to file the paperwork online.

The change was supported by the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, who said that "by utilizing technology to improve the services available from the Secretary of State's Office, Ohio is now in a position to roll out the red carpet to business and job creation by cutting red tape."

Husted also reduced the fee for starting a new business in Ohio by 21 percent and launched a partnership with Google's Get Your Business Online initiative, which directed new business filers to free business startup resources offered through the web giant. This announcement drew support and praise from Urban Leagues across Ohio for making it "easier for businesses to succeed". Husted's office estimated the move would save Ohio businesses $2 million each year based on growth rates at the time.

Husted leaned heavily on technology in his efforts to streamline the operation of his office, which allowed him to reduce spending by $14.5 million in his first term. The cuts, heavily driven by staff reductions, received some criticism by labor groups. In 2015, Husted announced he would close his office's in-house business call center and instead contract with the Cleveland Sight Center, a nonprofit that employs people who are blind or have significant visual impairments. In an interview, Husted's spokesman said it was part of the Secretary's mission to offer better services at a lower cost to taxpayers.

According to the Cleveland Sight Center, their call center was able to answer Secretary of State calls within 54 seconds, while the old, in-house call center Husted eliminated maintained an average of 10 minutes.

Opposition to pay-to-play for school extra-curricular activities

During his time as Secretary of State, Husted became a vocal advocate for the elimination of pay-to-participate fees for extracurricular activities in Ohio schools, such as sports and band. He said that his own experiences as a student athlete in both high school and college helped shape his view that extracurricular experiences develop good character skills and a strong work ethic. In an op-ed for the Toledo Blade, Husted wrote, "having these qualities in your life is what makes you a good student, a good employee, a good spouse, a good parent, and a better person. If we believe that character development is just as important as academic development, then we should stop charging fees that serve as a barrier to success."

In an interview, Husted said loved playing sports but was a "terrible student" until his sophomore year of high school. "Eventually, when I learned how important my grades were going to be to playing college sports, the light bulb came on and I learned to focus on it", said Husted, who became an All-American defensive back for the University of Dayton. Husted supported State Senator Cliff Hite's legislative efforts to restrict school districts' ability to charge participation fees, but the legislation did not make it out of committee.

Support for domestic violence survivors

In September 2016, Husted launched a program called "Safe at Home", whose stated goal was to allow victims of domestic violence and human trafficking to apply for a confidential address through the Secretary of State's office that they can use when interacting with government agencies to avoid the possibility of their actual home address becoming a public record.

Husted said that some eligible voters were choosing not to register out of fear for their safety: "It is unacceptable that there are those in America who are forced to choose between their personal liberties and their personal safety".

In Ohio, the voter rolls are a public record, so without the Safe at Home program, the only way to shield personal information was not to register to vote at all. There were 38 other states with similar programs when Ohio's launched.

Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

Husted ran in the Republican primary to succeed John Kasich as governor of Ohio. Midway through the primary, he announced that he was dropping out of the race to run on a combined ticket with Mike DeWine. After winning, DeWine announced that Husted would lead the newly created InnovateOhio.

In January 2021, Senator Rob Portman announced that he would not seek reelection, and Husted's name was floated as a possible replacement. After 48 hours, Husted issued a statement that he would not be seeking higher office.

In July 2024, Husted nominated Senator JD Vance to be the Republican nominee for vice president of the United States at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

U.S. Senate

Appointment

On January 17, 2025, Governor Mike DeWine announced his appointment of Husted to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by JD Vance, following his resignation to serve as vice president of the United States. Husted had originally declined the potential appointment and intended to run for governor in 2026.

Tenure

Husted was sworn in on January 21, 2025, along with former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, by Vice President JD Vance. He will serve until a special election in November 2026. He was escorted by fellow Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

Committee assignments

* Committee on Environment and Public Works
** Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety
** Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight
** Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water
* Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
** Subcommittee on Education and the American Family
** Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
** Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
* Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
* Special Committee on Aging

Controversies

National Cash Register

In 2004, Husted requested the use of National Cash Register's private jet to attend the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. He was criticized for this.

Budget

In 2005, while representing the 41st Ohio house district, Husted was criticized for a fishing trip during Memorial Day Weekend that included three Columbus lobbyists during a budget debate in which the lobbyists had a stake. Husted initially denied the lobbyists were involved in politics. After criticism of his ethics, he increased his personal reimbursements for the trips.

FirstEnergy

In 2008, as Speaker of the House, Husted was accused of being "in sync" with FirstEnergy in its energy regulation dispute with Governor Ted Strickland and the state's largest manufacturers. Husted supported FirstEnergy's position over the regulation Strickland and manufacturers sought to control FirstEnergy's rates. Since 2001, Husted has accepted $39,500 from FirstEnergy's political action committee, and since 2008, he has accepted $71,000 from FirstEnergy employees.

In 2024, investigations revealed a previously undisclosed $1 million donation to Husted's 2017 primary campaign by FirstEnergy.

Residency

In October 2008, Husted became the subject of an electoral investigation concerning his residency. The Secretary of State's office ultimately cast a vote breaking the tie of an elections panel voting on the matter in 2009, deciding that he was not a resident of the district that he represented, based on utility bills that highlighted that his official residence hadn't been used for quite some time."Supreme Court reverses decision on Husted residency"
Columbus Business First. October 6, 2009. Retrieved November 29, 2009. In October 2009, the Ohio Supreme Court reversed the decision, finding against the Secretary of State.

Heartland Bank Director

In March 2022, while still serving as lieutenant governor, Husted was appointed to a paid position on Heartland Bank's board of directors. In an apparent conflict of interest, the appointment was not announced until May 17, 2022. As of May 22, 2022, the governor's office had not made any official comment about the move.

Electoral history

*2000 election notes: Richard Hartmann received 3,934 votes, Bryan Carey ( L) received 904 votes and Charles Turner ( N) received 705 votes.

Personal life

Jon Husted married his wife, Tina, in 2005. He is the father of three children. The Husted family lives in the Columbus-area suburb of Upper Arlington.

References

External links

Senator John Husted
official U.S. Senate website
Husted for Ohio - Campaign websiteRepresentative Jon A. Husted (OH)
at Project Vote Smart
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*''Follow the Money'' - Jon Husted

200620042002 HD-372002 HD-41
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200035&c=374333 2000] campaign contributions

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Husted, Jon
1967 births
21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly
21st-century United States senators
American adoptees
Lieutenant governors of Ohio
Living people
Ohio Republicans
People from Kettering, Ohio
People from Montpelier, Ohio
People from Royal Oak, Michigan
People from Upper Arlington, Ohio
Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives
Republican Party Ohio state senators
Republican Party United States senators from Ohio
Secretaries of state of Ohio
Speakers of the Ohio House of Representatives
University of Dayton alumni
Dayton Flyers football players