By: Wesley Zhao

Donald Trump has chosen Ohio Senator, James David Vance, as his running mate for the 2024 elections. It was made public on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which was July 15, 2024.

If Vance is elected, he will the youngest vice president since Richard Nixon in 1952. Born in Ohio, he is the youngest of 2 children and was raised mostly by his grandmother, Bonnie Vance, as his parents divorced each other. Once he completed high school, he joined the US marine Corps. He was a military journalist for 4 years and, in late 2005, he worked in Iraq for half a year.

After the military, he went to college and got a dual degree in political science and philosophy from Ohio State University and a law degree from Yale. He worked for a law firm in Texas before moving to California in 2019. In 2021, he decided to run for Ohio Senate because Republican Rob Portman vacated the seat. He was elected in 2022. He also formed a company to fund technology startups in 2019 .

He wrote a bestselling novel in 2016 called “Hillbilly Elegy” which was adapted into a blockbuster film in 2020.

Media reports that Trump was impressed. Vance was also defending the ex-president during his media performances, by praising Trump and attacking his critics. By choosing to have Vance on his side, Trump might be making a smart decision, because having a senator by his side will help him in the elections.

https://www.dogonews.com/2024/7/29/donald-trump-selects-james-d-vance-as-his-running-mate-for-the-2024-presidential-electionshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/18/why-did-republican-donald-trump-choose-jd-vance-as-his-vice-president#:~:text=Media%20reports%20indicate%20Trump%20himself,Trump%20and%20attack%20his%20critics