By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
When former President Donald J. Trump announced U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, would be his vice-presidential running mate on the Republican Party’s presidential ticket, it concluded months of speculation.
He becomes one of the youngest vice-presidential candidates in the history of the United States, and he’s also the Millennial generation’s first candidate to appear on a major-party ticket.
Born on Aug. 2, 1984, Vance, 39, has crafted a compelling narrative through his life experiences and political stances. Raised protestant, he converted to catholicism in August 2019. Vance is married to Usha Chilukuri Vance, whom he met at Yale Law School. They married in 2014 and have three children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. Usha, a corporate litigator, has clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and then-appellate Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Vance is considered a populist conservative, aligning with President Trump and senators like Josh Hawley of Missouri. He likely will aim to push the Republican Party toward a more pro-worker stance, building on the working-class support garnered by Trump.
Raised in a lower-class family in Middletown, Ohio, Vance experienced significant financial and familial hardships. His memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” published in 2016, became a bestseller, highlighting the struggles of the white working class in the Rust Belt. The book was adapted into a Netflix film in 2020, bringing Vance’s story to an even wider audience.
The decline of the Rust Belt, seems to have shaped his political views and decisions. Despite growing up in Ohio, he often considered his great-grandmother’s house in rural Kentucky his true home. His parents, Donald Bowman and Bev Vance, divorced when he was a toddler, and his mother struggled with substance abuse, leading Vance to live with his grandmother during high school. This stability helped him focus on his studies and escape poverty.
Vance’s educational journey took him to Ohio State University, where he earned dual degrees in political science and philosophy, graduating summa cum laude in 2009. He then attended Yale Law School, where he earned his juris doctorate in 2013 and met his wife. After Yale, Vance worked at the law firm Sidley Austin, LLP, before joining billionaire Peter Thiel’s Mithril Capital in San Francisco.
In 2016, Vance returned to Ohio, launching efforts to combat opioid abuse in the state. Although short-lived, this initiative reflected his commitment to addressing the drug addiction issues he witnessed growing up. Vance also worked as a CNN contributor in 2017, a unique experience for someone later joining a presidential ticket for either party.
Initially an outspoken critic of Trump, Vance’s views evolved after Trump’s election in 2016. By 2020, he had become a staunch supporter, voting for Trump in the presidential election. Vance’s political career took off when he won the 2022 GOP Senate primary in Ohio, boosted by Trump’s endorsement. He joined the U.S. Senate in January 2023, quickly establishing a conservative voting record.
Vance has shown openness to bipartisan legislation, co-sponsoring a rail safety bill with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and working with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on legislation targeting executive pay from failed banks. He serves on several U.S. Senate committees, including Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and the Special Committee on Aging.
Vance has placed holds on all future Department of Justice nominees, citing the department’s prosecutions against Trump. He supports leaving abortion regulations to the states and has endorsed a pragmatic approach to the issue.
Vance’s support for collective bargaining was evident during the 2023 United Auto Workers strike. However, his military service in Iraq has led to a critical stance on the Iraq War and U.S. involvement in Ukraine. He has consistently voted against aid packages for Ukraine, advocating for European countries to bear more of the financial burden. Conversely, Vance supports aid to Israel, emphasizing its strategic importance and missile-defense capabilities.
Vance has also taken a tough stance on China, urging the U.S. to prioritize its resources and focus on the Asian superpower. This stance underscores his broader foreign policy perspective, balancing national interests in a complex global landscape.
Vance’s rise from a challenging childhood to a prominent political figure highlights his resilience and commitment to conservative principles. As Trump’s running mate, he represents a new generation of Republican leadership, poised to make a significant impact on the national stage.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.