JD Vance is 40 years old and was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio. He joined the Marines and served in Iraq, and later earned degrees from the Ohio State University and Yale Law School. He met his now-wife, Lawyer Usha Vance, at Yale. In 2016, Vance made a name for himself with his best-selling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," which highlighted the hardship Vance endured, including witnessing his mother's drug addiction. The book earned Vance a reputation as someone who could help explain Trump's appeal in middle America, especially among working-class, rural White voters. Despite Vance's current loyalty to Trump, he originally was a "Never Trump" Republican in 2016. By the time Vance met Trump in 2021, he had reversed his opinion, citing Trump's accomplishments as president. Vance also won Trump's endorsement in 2022 when Vance campaigned and eventually won his seat in the Senate.