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JD Vance
American politician (born 1984) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James David "JD" Vance[lower-alpha 2] (né Bowman and Hamel[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 1]; born August 2, 1984) is an American politician, author, and Marine veteran who has served since 2023 as the junior United States senator from Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he is its nominee for vice president in the 2024 United States presidential election.
JD Vance | |
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![]() Official portrait, 2023 | |
United States Senator from Ohio | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Rob Portman |
Personal details | |
Born | James Donald Bowman[lower-alpha 1] (1984-08-02) August 2, 1984 (age 40) Middletown, Ohio, US |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | |
Children | 3 |
Education | |
Occupation |
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Signature | ![]() |
Website | Senate website |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
Years of service | 2003–2007 |
Rank | ![]() |
Unit | 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing |
Battles/wars | Iraq War |
Awards | |
Vance questions witnesses on the effectiveness of Russian sanctions Recorded February 28, 2023 | |
After high school, Vance joined the US Marine Corps, where he served from 2003 to 2007 as a combat correspondent in a non-combative role, including a six-month deployment in the public affairs department in Iraq. He attended Ohio State University afterward, graduating in 2009, then graduated in 2013 from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of The Yale Law Journal. In 2016, Vance published his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which was adapted into a drama film in 2020.
Vance won the 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio, defeating Democratic nominee Tim Ryan. Initially opposed to Donald Trump's candidacy in the 2016 election, Vance has become a strong Trump supporter since Trump's presidency. In July 2024, Trump selected Vance as his running mate before the Republican National Convention.
Vance has been described as a national conservative[5][6] and right-wing populist,[5][7] and he describes himself as a member of the postliberal right.[8][9] His political positions include opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control. Vance is an outspoken critic of childlessness, linking it to sociopathy[10] and advocating that parents should have more voting power than non-parents.[11] He opposes continued American military aid to Ukraine. Vance has suggested that conservatives should use state power to forcefully re-staff institutions with ideological allies who will "actually take a side in the culture war".[12]