Vance will resign his Senate seat as inauguration approaches

Vice President-elect JD Vance will resign his Senate seat at midnight Thursday, clearing the way for his Jan. 20 swearing-in alongside Donald Trump.

CLEVELAND — Vice President-elect JD Vance resigned his Senate seat at midnight Thursday, clearing the way for his swearing-in alongside President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20.

Vance, R-Ohio, notified Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who will choose his successor, of his plans in a letter Thursday afternoon. 

“To the people of Ohio, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate,” Vance, who has served in the chamber for two years, said in a statement shared first with NBC News. “When I was elected to this office, I promised to never forget where I came from, and I’ve made sure to live by that promise every single day.”

Vance added that voters had issued “an undeniable mandate to put America first, both at home and abroad,” and pledged to work with Trump to “enact his agenda” over the next four years.

Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy” and former venture capitalist, emerged as a political player in Ohio three years ago when Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican, announced his retirement. Vance entered a crowded GOP primary filled with better-known and better-funded candidates but rode a Trump endorsement to victory. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/jd-vance/vance-resign-senate-seat-inauguration-trump-rcna187036

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