J.D. Vance. On Monday, former President Donald Trump announced freshman Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his running mate for the 2024 election. Before his election to the Senate, Vance was best known as the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” which describes his experience growing up in a poverty-stricken home in Ohio. Vance, 39, is the first millennial nominated to either party's major ticket. If elected, he would become one of the youngest and least experienced vice presidents in U.S. history, with less than two years spent as an elected official.

Trump announced the decision in a post on Truth Social, writing that Vance “will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond.” 

Vance served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Iraq War. After his service, he attended The Ohio State University and Yale Law School, then worked for several law and venture capital firms. In 2022, he won the Republican Ohio Senate primary (with Trump’s endorsement) to replace outgoing Sen. Rob Portman (R), then defeated Rep. Tim Ryan (D) in the general election.