Hardly anyone, including Jon Husted, pictured him as a U.S. senator. But the Republican, who has eyed the Ohio governor’s seat for many years, just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“I was hoping that the focus was going to be on the people of Ohio over politics,” said Mark Alberini, chairman of the Trumbull County Democratic Party. Husted said that representing Ohio in ...

Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted took the oath of office last month after a series of dominos fell to land them in the upper chamber of Congress, with no prior experience in Washington.