"JD honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. JD's book, 'Hillbilly Elegy,' became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country. JD has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance" – that is how former United States President and the Republican nominee in this year's election described JD Vance when announcing him as his running mate in the campaign. The candidate for the country's next vice president has indeed had a colorful life, with Trump's declaration being a cherry on top of a staggering rise to political fame.
Vance was born James Donald Bowman on August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio, to parents of little means, with his mother struggling with drug addiction. He and his sister Lindsey were thus put primarily in the care of his maternal grandparents, James and Bonnie Vance, whose surname he later adopted as a sign of respect. Before graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University in political science and philosophy, Vance joined the US Marines and served as a combat correspondent for six months in Iraq. After completing his education, Vance worked for Texas Senator John Cornyn and as a law clerk before turning to venture capital in the technology industry, notably at Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital. In 2016, he published a memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which in 2020 was adapted into an award-winning film.
After deciding against running in 2018, Vance became Ohio Senator in 2022 as a member of the Republican Party, supported by donors such as Peter Thiel and Robert Mercer. During his time in the upper congressional house, he contributed to several laws including those on ensuring more transparency on pharmaceutical costs and reducing corporate mergers. He was also named to the committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Aging.
Vance describes himself as a member of the post-liberal right, with economic views sometimes cited as economic populism or nationalism. He is also sometimes labeled a right-wing populist due to his opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control. Despite many political similarities between him and Trump, Vance did not support the latter during his 2016 campaign, calling him an "opioid for the masses" who is "leading the white working class to a very dark place." He even described himself as a "never-Trump guy" and compared the former president to Adolf Hitler in a private message. However, in 2018, Vance changed his stance and even went on to claim the results of the 2020 election, when Joe Biden won, were rigged. In turn, Trump endorsed Vance's Senate bid. November 5 will show if this duo has enough appeal to persuade the nation of their joint ability to lead it in the next four years.