Gov. Mike DeWine speaks as Jim Tressel is sworn in as Ohio's lieutenant governor

Former Ohio State football coach and Youngstown State University president Jim Tressel is being sworn in as the state's next lieutenant governor in Columbus. The 72-year-old Tressel was nominated by Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday to fill the void left by former Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who was tapped by DeWine to replace Vice President JD Vance in the United States Senate. Tressel was confirmed by the Ohio Senate on Wednesday by a vote of 31-1, while the Ohio House approved his nomination by a 68-27 margin. "I wanted someone who shared my values, Ohio's values. Someone who can pull people together. I want someone who shares my vision for the state of Ohio and that is we want everyone to live up to their God-given potential," DeWine explained in his reasoning for choosing Tressel. While Tressel comes to his new post with no political experience, the 72-year-old native of Northeast Ohio did serve as the president at Youngstown State from 2014 to 2023. During his presidency at YSU, he was rumored to have interest in running for the U.S. Senate in 2018, then also after Rob Portman announced his retirement in 2021. Read more: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/ohio/jim-tressel-ohio-lieutenant-governor-swearing-in-ceremony-mike-dewine-state-football-coach-statehouse/95-c118f4de-9ee2-495e-b0bb-81c027a1e836