If current polls hold, Ohio Senator JD Vance is set to become the next Vice President of the United States, marking the second consecutive term with a Vice President who has close ties to India. Vance’s wife, Usha Chilukuri, is a San Francisco corporate litigator with Indian heritage. At their wedding in Kentucky in 2014, the couple was blessed by a Hindu pundit in a separate ceremony, as reported by The New York Times.
A Successor to Kamala Harris
The current Vice President, Kamala Harris, is the daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher originally from Chennai, and Donald Harris, a Stanford economist from Jamaica. Harris’s Indian roots have been a significant part of her identity and public persona.
Who is JD Vance?
JD Vance, recently chosen by Donald J. Trump as his running mate at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, has a compelling personal and professional background. Raised in humble surroundings in Middletown, Ohio, Vance enlisted in the US Marines after high school and served as a combat journalist and public relations officer during the Iraq War. Following his military service, he earned an undergraduate degree in political science and philosophy from Ohio State University and later studied law at Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
After graduating from Yale in 2013, Vance briefly practiced law before moving to San Francisco to work in the tech industry as a venture capitalist, notably at Mithril Capital, co-founded by PayPal’s Peter Thiel. His rise to fame came with his best-selling book “Hillbilly Elegy,” published in 2016, which provided insight into rural America and was seen as a lens into the voter base that propelled Trump to his first presidential victory.
Vance’s Political Transformation
Initially a staunch critic of Trump, Vance described Trump as “cultural heroin” in a 2016 Atlantic op-ed and considered him akin to “America’s Hitler” in a private Facebook message. However, by 2020, Vance had changed his stance, voting for Trump and winning his maiden senatorial race in 2022 with Trump’s backing. Vance attributes his ideological shift to an intellectual awakening, realizing that Trump’s policies on foreign policy, trade, and immigration offered something different.
Today, Vance is one of Trump’s most ardent defenders, embodying the “New Right” movement, which aims to push the Republican Party in a more populist, nationalist, and culturally conservative direction.
The Vance Family
Vance met Usha Chilukuri during his time at Yale, and the couple has three children. While Vance is Catholic, Usha practices Hinduism, reflecting a blend of their cultural backgrounds. Usha, described as “brainy, ambitious and pragmatic” by The New York Times, grew up in San Diego and pursued a distinguished legal career, including clerking for US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She recently resigned from her position at Munger, Tolles, and Olson following Vance’s selection as Trump’s running mate.
The Political Implications
Trump’s selection of Vance is expected to energize his base, with Vance being a popular figure in conservative media. This move is also seen as a strategic play for support in Silicon Valley, where Vance’s connection with Peter Thiel could prove beneficial for campaign financing. However, some experts believe that the selection of two white men for the Republican ticket might not expand Trump’s coalition as effectively as choosing a woman of color might have.
As the November election approaches, the dynamic between the candidates and their impact on key Midwestern states will be closely watched, especially if President Joe Biden faces pressure to step aside in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
