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J. D. Vance

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J. D. Vance
J. D. Vance by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Vance in 2021
Born
James Donald Bowman

(1984-08-02) August 2, 1984 (age 37)
Middletown, Ohio, U.S.
EducationOhio State University (BA)
Yale University (JD)
OccupationAuthor, commentator, politician, venture capitalist
Known forCommentary on rural sociology, poverty, Hillbilly culture
Notable work
Hillbilly Elegy
Political partyRepublican[1]
Spouse(s)
Usha Chilukuri
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service/branch U.S. Marine Corps
Years of service2003–2007
RankUSMC-E4.svg Corporal
Unit2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Battles/warsIraq War

James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman;[2] August 2, 1984) is an American author, politician and venture capitalist.[1] He is best known for his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which attracted significant media attention during the 2016 election. On July 1, 2021, Vance announced his candidacy for the 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio to succeed retiring Senator Rob Portman.[3]

Early life and education

James David Vance was born on August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio, located between Cincinnati and Dayton, as James Donald Bowman, the son of Donald Bowman and Bev Vance. He is of Scots-Irish descent.[4][5][6] Vance's sister, Lindsay, had been born when their mother was 19 years old. His mother and father divorced when Vance was a toddler. Shortly afterward, Vance was adopted by his mother's third husband.[2] Vance and his sister were raised primarily by his grandparents, whom Vance affectionately called "Mamaw and Papaw".[4][7][8][9] J. D. went under the name James Hamel, the surname of his stepfather, until settling on the surname Vance by the time he had reached adulthood. Vance was the family name of his grandfather.[10]

Vance was educated at Middletown High School,[11] a public high school in his home town. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps[12] and served in The Iraq War with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, performing public affairs activities.[13][14][15] Vance later graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and philosophy.[16][17] While at Ohio State, he worked for Republican State Senator Bob Schuler.[18]

After graduating from Ohio State, Vance received a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. During his first year at Yale Law, his mentor and professor Amy Chua convinced him to write his memoir.[19]

Career

Vance in 2017

After a stint at a corporate law firm, Vance moved to San Francisco to work in the technology industry. He serves as a principal at Peter Thiel's venture capital firm, Mithril Capital.[20] As an investor, Vance took a special interest in biotechnology and other transformative sectors of the economy.

He published Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis in 2016. It was on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2016 and 2017. It was a finalist for the 2017 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.[21] The New York Times called it "one of the six best books to help understand Trump's win".[5] The Washington Post called him the "voice of the Rust Belt,"[1] while The New Republic criticized him as "liberal media's favorite white trash–splainer" and the "false prophet of blue America".[22]

In December 2016, Vance indicated that he planned to move to Ohio to start a nonprofit, potentially run for office,[23] and work on combating drug addiction in the Rust Belt.[1]

In 2017, he joined Revolution LLC, an investment firm founded by AOL cofounder Steve Case, as an investment partner, where he was tasked with expanding the "Rise of the Rest" initiative, which focuses on growing investments in under-served regions outside the Silicon Valley and New York City tech bubbles.[24]

In January 2017, Vance became a CNN contributor.[25] In April 2017, Ron Howard signed on to direct a film version of Hillbilly Elegy, which was released by Netflix in 2020, and starred Owen Asztalos and Gabriel Basso as Vance.[26] He has appeared on ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and Fox News, among other media outlets.[16]

In 2019, he co-founded Narya Capital in Cincinnati, Ohio, with financial backing from Peter Thiel, Eric Schmidt, and Marc Andreessen.[27] In 2020, Vance raised $93 million for Narya Capital.[28] He has also invested in the competitor with YouTube, Rumble.[29]

Vance is a Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute researching American society and culture, and the social impact of economic policy.[30]

2022 Ohio U.S. Senate Election

J.D. Vance is a current candidate for the United States Senate from Ohio. On his campaign website, Vance references his Marine service during The Iraq War, education at Ohio State University and Yale Law School, and his time as an investor in Silicon Valley.[31]

Politics

On his campaign website he states that "American companies struggle with unfair competition from China" and that the U.S. government "rewards multinational technology firms" over Ohio's small businesses. Vance believes in "the conservative way of life that values grit, determination, and freedom" and that "economic and government leaders conspire to make life harder for normal Americans." He references American "livelihoods devastated by job loss, addiction, economic turmoil."[32]

During the 2016 election, Vance was critical of Republican Party nominee Donald Trump. In a column in USA Today in February 2016, Vance wrote that "Trump’s actual policy proposals, such as they are, range from immoral to absurd."[33] In October 2016, he described Trump as "reprehensible" in a post on Twitter.[34] He also stated his intentions to vote for independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin.[34] Vance later deleted these posts from his Twitter account and apologized for his criticism of Trump in July 2021, ahead of his candidacy for United States Senate. He reversed his earlier statements on Trump, saying that he thought Trump was a good president and expressing regret about his statements during the 2016 election.[34] Vance visited Mar-a-Lago to meet with former President Donald Trump, alongside Peter Thiel, ahead of an official announcement.[35]

Consideration and announcement

In early 2018, Vance was reported to have been considering a bid for U.S. Senate as a Republican running against Democrat Sherrod Brown,[36] but declined to run.[37] In April 2021, Vance expressed interest in running for the Ohio Senate seat being vacated by Republican Rob Portman.[38]

Peter Thiel has given $10 million to Protect Ohio Values, a super PAC created in February 2021 to support Vance in running for the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Ohio.[39][40][41] Robert Mercer also donated an undisclosed amount.[39] In May 2021, Vance launched an exploratory committee.[42] In July 2021, he officially entered the race.[43]

Vance changed his rhetoric after joining the race. In July 2021, Vance apologized for calling Trump "reprehensible."[44] Whereas Vance had once admonished Trump for demonizing immigrants, Vance himself repeatedly called illegal immigration "dirty."[45][46]

Personal life

Vance is married to one of his former law school classmates, Usha Chilukuri, an Indian-American woman who was a law clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts during the 2017–18 term and clerked for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh in 2014–15.[47] They have two sons, including Ewan.[48]

Vance had been raised in a "conservative, evangelical" sect of Protestantism. By September 2016, Vance was "thinking very seriously about converting to Catholicism" and added he was "not an active participant" in any particular religious denomination.[49] In August 2019, Vance converted to Catholicism at a ceremony in Cincinnati, Ohio.[50] In an interview with Rod Dreher after his conversion, Vance said he converted because he "became persuaded over time that Catholicism was true", and described Catholic doctrine's influence on his political views.[50]

Works

  • Vance, J. D. (June 2016). Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062300546.

See also

References

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Heller, Karen (February 6, 2017). "'Hillbilly Elegy' made J.D. Vance the voice of the Rust Belt. But does he want that job?". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis". Enotes.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  3. ^ Arkin, James (July 1, 2021). "J.D. Vance joins already chaotic Ohio Senate primary". Politico.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Rothman, Joshua (September 12, 2016). "The Lives of Poor White People". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "6 Books to Help Understand Trump's Win". The New York Times. November 9, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Kroeger, Alix (April 18, 2021). "JD Vance: Trump whisperer turned Senate hopeful". BBC. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  7. ^ Kunzru, Hari (December 7, 2016). "Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance review – does this memoir really explain Trump's victory?". The Guardian.
  8. ^ "'Hillbilly Elegy' Recalls A Childhood Where Poverty Was 'The Family Tradition'". NPR. August 17, 2016.
  9. ^ Meibers, Bonnie (November 15, 2020). "'Hillbilly Elegy' is my family's story. I'm happy it shared my Mamaw with the world". Journal-News. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Sewell, Dan (April 16, 2021). "'Hillbilly' to Capitol Hill? Author eyes Senate bid in Ohio". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Clark, Michael D. (March 10, 2017). "Middletown native J.D. Vance's book started with simple question". Journal-News. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  12. ^ "Former Marine J.D. Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy' Will Be Made into a Movie". Military.com. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  13. ^ Humel, James D. (November 2, 2005). "VMGR-252 air crews make mission possible in Iraq". DVIDS. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  14. ^ "'Hillbilly Elegy' author J.D. Vance giving virtual talk at NDSU". Williston Herald. January 7, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  15. ^ Stilwell, Blake. "Read a Marine Corps PAO Story by 'Hillbilly Elegy' Author JD Vance". Military.com. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b "J. D. Vance, Visiting Fellow". aei.org. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  17. ^ "J.D. Vance to Speak About Memoir Hillbilly Elegy Feb. 2". Yale Law School. January 27, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  18. ^ Vance, J. D. (2017). Hillbilly Elegy. London, U.K.: William Collins. p. 181. ISBN 9780008220563. OCLC 965479512. I took a job at the Ohio Statehouse, working for a remarkably kind senator from the Cincinnati area named Bob Schuler. He was a good man, and I liked his politics, so when constituents called and complained, I tried to explain his positions.
  19. ^ "How the 'Tiger Mom' Convinced the Author of Hillbilly Elegy to Write His Story". The Atlantic. June 7, 2016.
  20. ^ McBride, Sarah (January 20, 2017). "Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital Raises $850 Million VC Fund". Bloomberg Technology. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  21. ^ Dayton Literary Peace Prize
  22. ^ Jones, Sarah (November 17, 2016). "J.D. Vance, the False Prophet of Blue America". The New Republic. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  23. ^ Hohmann, James. "The Daily 202: Why the author of 'Hillbilly Elegy' is moving home to Ohio". The Washington Post.
  24. ^ Heater, Brian (March 22, 2017). "'Hillbilly Elegy' author J.D. Vance joins Revolution LLC to promote startups outside of Silicon Valley". TechCrunch. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  25. ^ Katz, A. J. (January 17, 2017). "CNN Strengthens its Roster of Commentators and Contributors". AdWeek. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  26. ^ Reed, Ryan (April 10, 2017). "Ron Howard to Direct, Produce 'Hillbilly Elegy' Movie". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  27. ^ Vermillion, Stephanie (February 16, 2020). "J.D. Vance's New Cincinnati-based VC Firm Excites Local Startup Leaders". Cincy Inno. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  28. ^ Loizos, Connie (January 9, 2019). "'Hillbilly Elegy' author J.D. Vance has raised $93 million for his own Midwestern venture fund". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  29. ^ Hagey, Keach (May 19, 2021). "WSJ News Exclusive | Peter Thiel, J.D. Vance Invest in Rumble Video Platform Popular on Political Right". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  30. ^ "J. D. Vance".
  31. ^ "Campaign Website,About". Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  32. ^ "Campaign Website, About". Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  33. ^ Vance, J. D. (February 18, 2016). "Trump speaks for those Bush betrayed: Column". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b c Warren, Michael; Steck, Em; Kaczynski, Andrew (July 6, 2021). "Senate hopeful J.D. Vance apologizes for criticizing Trump as 'reprehensible' in deleted tweets". CNN. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  35. ^ Primack, Dan (April 15, 2021). "J.D. Vance tells associates he plans to run for Senate in Ohio". Axios. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  36. ^ Gomez, Henry (January 10, 2018). "J.D. Vance Is Now Seriously Considering Running For Senate In Ohio". Buzzfeed. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  37. ^ Carozza, Vinny. "Middletown native and Ohio State grad decides against Senate run". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  38. ^ Primack, Dan (April 15, 2021). "J.D. Vance tells associates he plans to run for Senate in Ohio". Axios. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  39. ^ Jump up to: a b Kinery, Emma (March 15, 2021). "Peter Thiel, Mercers Back a Potential J.D. Vance Senate Run". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  40. ^ Mathis-Lilley, Ben (March 18, 2021). "J.D. Vance's Potential Senate Campaign Is Shaping Up as a Vicious Assault on People Like J.D. Vance". Slate. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  41. ^ Balmert, Jessie. "Super PAC supporting potential Senate candidate J.D. Vance gets $10 million donation from PayPal cofounder". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
  42. ^ De Lea, Brittany (May 12, 2021). "'Hillbilly Elegy' author J.D. Vance forms exploratory committee to run for Senate seat in Ohio: report". Fox News. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  43. ^ Axelrod, Tal (July 1, 2021). "JD Vance jumps into Ohio Senate primary". The Hill.
  44. ^ Warren, Michael; Steck, Em; Kaczynski, Andrew (July 6, 2021). "Senate hopeful J.D. Vance apologizes for criticizing Trump as 'reprehensible' in deleted tweets". CNN. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  45. ^ Tracy, Marc (July 27, 2021). "Trump Is Gone, but the Media's Misinformation Challenge Is Still Here". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  46. ^ "J.D. Vance used to admonish Donald Trump's 'xenophobic' appeals to voters. Until he decided to run for Senate". cleveland. July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  47. ^ "Usha C. Vance". www.mto.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  48. ^ Ferenchik, Mark (July 31, 2017), J.D. Vance draws crowds, and questions about political future, The Columbus Dispatch
  49. ^ Dallas, Kelsey (September 9, 2016). "Author J.D. Vance: Faith made me believe in a hopeful future". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  50. ^ Jump up to: a b Dreher, Rod (August 11, 2019). "J.D. Vance Becomes Catholic". The American Conservative. Retrieved August 11, 2019.

External links

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