U.S Election: J.D. Vance

On 15 July, Donald Trump announced his running mate for the 5 November presidential election: Senator J.D. Vance. The new Republican candidate for Vice-President is a conservative serving his first term in the Senate and a former critic of Trump.

James David Vance grew up poor in the mid-west, in Ohio, although his family roots are in Appalachia, one of the poorest regions of the U.S.A. His mother had problems with addiction, his father was absent, and he was mainly brought up by his grandparents. He joined the Marines, served in Iraq and then made it to Yale Law School before moving into finance, becoming a venture capitalist in California.

In 2016 he published a successful memoir of his rags-to-riches story, Hill Billy Elegy. In it he praised the spirit of self-improvement and had harsh words for those less capable than himself of pulling themselves out of poverty.

While promoting the memoir he was frequently asked about Donald Trump’s candidacy for the White House, as Vance was viewed as a spokesperson for a certain segment for the electorate. He told an interviewer in October 2016, “I think this election is really having a negative effect especially on the white working class.” And he was outspoken on Twitter about his dislike of Mr Trump and his politics, writing, amongst other things, “I find him reprehensible.”

But Trump’s presidency apparently changed his mind and when he decided to run for a Senate seat in Ohio in the 2022 midterms, he sought, and obtained Trump’s endorsement.

Young Blood
Vance can’t be said to bring a lot of political experience to the Republican ticket, but then Donald Trump had never held political office before becoming President. In his two years in opposition in the Senate, Vance has spoken out against aid to Ukraine and supported legislation to block Chinese government investment in U.S. markets if the country doesn’t follow international trade law. In a recent speech to the National Conservatism Conference, he said: "The real threat to American democracy is that American voters keep on voting for less immigration and our politicians keep on rewarding us with more."

A perhaps more salient characteristic is that Vance is young: he’ll be 40 on election day, barely half the age of Donald Trump (78). In a campaign where age has been a major issue, finally forcing Joe Biden to step down as candidate, the Republican Party believes Vance will bring youth and energy.