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Who is JD Vance? Meet Donald Trump’s VP pick

AUTHOR and politician JD Vance won a seat in the United States Senate in November 2022.

The Ohio native was named former President Donald Trump's running mate on July 15, 2024.

JD Vance is pictured speaking before former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Dayton International Airport on Monday, November 7, 2022, in Vandalia, Ohio
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JD Vance is pictured speaking before former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Dayton International Airport on Monday, November 7, 2022, in Vandalia, OhioCredit: AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Who is JD Vance?

JD, whose legal name is James David, was born on August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio.

Vance, a Republican, graduated from Middletown High School before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps.

After serving in the Iraq War, Vance returned to the US and graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State University.

He earned his Bachelor's degree in political science and philosophy and received a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.

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Vance later moved to San Francisco and began working in technology.

In 2016, he published the book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.

Critics met the New York Times bestseller with acclaim and public dismay.

He returned to Ohio and launched Narya Capital in Cincinnati alongside Peter Thiel, Eric Schmidt, and Marc Andreessen.

In 2020, Netflix released a film version of Hillbilly Elegy.

His net worth is estimated to be around $5 million.

What is JD Vance's history with Donald Trump?

Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for the 2024 United States presidential election.

On Monday, July 15, 2024, Vance was named Trump's official running mate ahead of an appearance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

"After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump's VP pick comes after J.D. joined the former president in a Manhattan courtroom for the latter's ongoing hush-money trial on May 13.

According to NBC, he was also listed as a "special guest" of the former president ahead of a Trump fund-raising luncheon in May.

JD Vance embraces his wife Usha Vance after winning the primary on May 3, 2022, in Cincinnati, Ohio
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JD Vance embraces his wife Usha Vance after winning the primary on May 3, 2022, in Cincinnati, OhioCredit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Is JD Vance married?

JD Vance married Usha Chilukuri, one of his former law school classmates, in 2014.

Usha works as a litigation associate for Munger, Tolles, & Olson.

During her time in law school, she served as the Executive Development Editor of the Yale Law Journal and the Managing Editor of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology.

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She is licensed to practice law in California, Ohio, and the District of Columbia.

The couple share three children.

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