Coinciding with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, former President Donald Trump on Monday chose U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be his running mate as he looks to return to the White House, according to the Associated Press.
A few things to know about Vance, a 39-year-old Republican now in his first term in the Senate, include:
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Vance rose to prominence with the 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy;
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He was first elected to public office in 2022;
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Vance was a never-Trump Republican in 2016 but reversed his opinion by 2021 and has become a Capitol Hill ally;
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Many conservatives have called him a “leading voice,” while some Democrats have characterized him as an extremist; and
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He is married to Usha Chilukuri Vance, a lawyer who was a Supreme Court clerk.
