Former US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Ohio US Senator JD Vance will be his running mate for the November presidential election. The announcement came just ahead of the former president’s surprise appearance at the Republican National Convention, two days after an attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally.
Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, will join Trump in challenging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election.
Who is JD Vance?
1. J.D. Vance was born James David Bowman in Middletown, Ohio, to a mother who struggled with addiction. His father abandoned the family when Vance was a child. He grew up with his grandparents; his grandmother “Mama” was a “Blue Dog” Democrat and a devout Christian who owned 19 handguns.
2. After high school Vance served in the US Marine Corps, including a tour in the Iraq War. He then pursued higher education, graduating from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. As of 2017, he worked at a venture capital firm.
3. Before entering politics, Vance gained national attention with his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, Which was later adapted into a Netflix film.
4. JD Vance is married to Indian-origin Usha Chilukuri Vance. They met at Yale Law School and got married in Kentucky in 2014. In addition to the traditional ceremony, they also had a separate Hindu ceremony conducted by a Hindu priest. They have three children.
5. Vance was once a vocal critic of Donald Trump, calling him a “fool” and “deplorable” and comparing him to Hitler in earlier interviews in 2016. However, he has now become one of Trump’s steadfast allies, rarely missing a chance to defend him. Though his name had long been mentioned as a potential political candidate, Vance passed up the chance to run for Ohio’s Senate seat in 2022 after Republican Senator Rob Portman decided not to run for re-election. His campaign struggled initially but picked up after he received a $10 million donation from his former boss Peter Thiel. Despite being in a predominantly Republican state, Vance’s past criticism of Donald Trump hindered his election. He managed to mend things with the former president for his past comments and gain Trump’s support.