On November 6, 2024, James David Vance stepped out onto the biggest stage in American politics and addressed the nation.
“We're never gonna stop fighting for you – for your dreams, for your children.” promised Vance. “And after the greatest political comeback in history, we’re gonna have the greatest economic comeback in history.”
He stood beside Donald Trump as he declared victory in the presidential race. The moment marked the culmination of Vance’s rapid rise in politics. It was a scene that stood in stark contrast to his humble beginnings.
In Middletown, Ohio, folks knew him as James. Born Aug. 2, 1984, he spent the first few years of his life as James Donald Bowman. His mother later changed his name to James David Hamel after she divorced and remarried.
His changing names reflected an unstable childhood – Vance and his older sister, Lindsay, were raised by their grandmother, Bonnie Vance. They affectionately called her “Mamaw.”
Years later, standing on the stage at the Republican National Convention, Vance spoke fondly of her.
“Mamaw raised me as my mother struggled with addiction. Mamaw was in so many ways a woman of contradiction,” he said. “She loved the Lord, ladies and gentlemen, she was a woman of great Christian faith. But she also loved the ‘F’ word.”
In 2013, he took the name Vance in her honor.
After high school, he served for four years in the Marines, including a six-month deployment in Iraq as a combat correspondent.
Vance left the Marines to attend Ohio State University and was later accepted to Yale Law School.
Although both his background and his conservative views set him apart from his classmates, Vance stoon found his stride. He joined the staff of the Yale Law Review, worked as a law clerk for Texas Senator John Cornyn, and established a reputation among his classmates as an independent thinker.
One of those classmates was Usha Chilukuri. They married in 2014.
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After a short stint as a corporate lawyer, Vance moved to San Franciso and began working as a venture capitalist.
But it was his 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” that first brought him into the public eye, earning him critical acclaim as a writer.
The book, which tells the story of his family’s struggles, was hailed as an insightful portrait of life for many forgotten Americans. Its author became a spokesman for the white working class and a frequent commentator on cable news.
A popular topic of conversation was then presidential candidate Donald Trump.
In a 2016 interview with Charlie Rose, Vance professed his dislike for his future running mate.
“I’m a never Trump guy,” Vance told Rose. “I never liked him.”
He has since recanted those views, telling Americans during the 2024 Vice Presidential debate, “I was wrong about Donald Trump.”
His shifting view of President Trump became apparent after the 2020 election, when he said he did not believe it had been a “free and fair election."
In 2021, Vance stepped into the political arena as a rookie candidate for statewide office – announcing in July that he was running for an Ohio senate seat.
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His campaign leaned on his working class roots, and featured familiar themes like immigration and the economy.
But in a crowded Republican primary, it was an endorsement from then former President Trump that set Vance apart.
In November 2023, he won the general election, beating out longtime Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan.
In his victory speech, he made a vow to his constituents.
“We need better leadership in Washington,” he told them. “And that’s what I promise to fight for every single day.”
Once in Washington, Vance was not shy on the Senate floor. He spoke vocally on many issues, from the rail industry regulations affecting his home state to funding for the war in Ukraine.
His brief career in the chamber led to the successful enactment of five bills that he co-sponsored.
Despite his freshman status, in July of 2024, President Trump selected Vance as his running mate, catapulting him from a first-term senator to a candidate for vice president – a journey from humble beginnings in Ohio to the nation’s second highest office.