Career Timeline of JD Vance: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how JD Vance made an impact.

J.D. Vance is an American politician and author. He is currently serving as the 50th Vice President of the United States. Previously, Vance represented Ohio in the United States Senate from 2023 to 2025. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2003: Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps

In 2003, J.D. Vance enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.

2003: Graduated high school and enlisted in the Marine Corps

In 2003, J.D. Vance graduated from Middletown High School and subsequently enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as a combat correspondent.

2007: Left the U.S. Marine Corps

In 2007, J.D. Vance concluded his four-year tenure in the U.S. Marine Corps.

2007: Left military and studied at Ohio State University

In 2007, J.D. Vance left the military and began using the G.I. Bill to study at Ohio State University.

2010: Wrote for FrumForum

In 2010, J. D. Vance wrote for David Frum's "FrumForum" website under the name J. D. Hamel.

2015: Worked at Circuit Therapeutics

From 2015 to 2017, J.D. Vance worked at a biotech company named Circuit Therapeutics.

June 2016: Publication of Hillbilly Elegy

In June 2016, Harper published J.D. Vance's book, "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis".

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Check it on Amazon

December 2016: Planned move to Ohio and considered starting a nonprofit

In December 2016, J.D. Vance announced plans to move to Ohio and consider starting a nonprofit or running for office.

2016: Joined Mithril Capital

Between 2016 and 2017, J.D. Vance worked as a principal at Peter Thiel's firm, Mithril Capital.

2016: Publication of Hillbilly Elegy

In 2016, J.D. Vance gained national prominence with the release of his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy", which became central to understanding white working-class sentiment after Donald Trump's election.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Check it on Amazon

March 2017: Vance joined the board of AppHarvest

From March 2017 to April 2021, J.D. Vance was on the board of directors of the startup AppHarvest, which carried out indoor vertical farming in Kentucky.

April 2017: Ron Howard signed on to direct Hillbilly Elegy film

In April 2017, Ron Howard signed on to direct the film version of Hillbilly Elegy.

2017: Left Mithril Capital

Between 2016 and 2017, J.D. Vance worked as a principal at Peter Thiel's firm, Mithril Capital. Vance left Mithril in 2017.

2017: CNN Contributor

In 2017 and 2018, J.D. Vance worked as a CNN contributor.

2017: Our Ohio Renewal Foundation was formed

In 2017, J.D. Vance formed a similarly named 501(c)(3) organization, Our Ohio Renewal Foundation, which raised around $69,000 from 2017 to 2023.

2017: Left Circuit Therapeutics and Mithril Capital; Moved back to Ohio

In 2017, J.D. Vance left Circuit Therapeutics and Mithril Capital, moving back to Ohio and publishing an op-ed in The New York Times explaining his move.

2017: Started Our Ohio Renewal

In 2017, J.D. Vance started Our Ohio Renewal, a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, and raised around $221,000.

2018: Satel sent to Appalachian region

According to the Associated Press and a 2019 ProPublica investigation, Our Ohio Renewal charity's biggest accomplishment, sending psychiatrist Sally Satel to Ohio's Appalachian region for a yearlong residency in 2018.

2018: CNN Contributor

In 2017 and 2018, J.D. Vance worked as a CNN contributor.

2018: Joined Revolution LLC

In 2018, J.D. Vance joined Revolution LLC, an investment firm founded by Steve Case, and was tasked with expanding the "Rise of the Rest" initiative.

2018: Considered running for U.S. Senate

In 2018, JD Vance considered running for the U.S. Senate against Sherrod Brown, but ultimately decided not to.

2019: Our Ohio Renewal Foundation funds not spent

As of September 2024, the Our Ohio Renewal Foundation had not spent any funds since 2019.

2019: Co-founded Rockbridge Network and Narya Capital

In 2019, J.D. Vance co-founded the conservative political advocacy group Rockbridge Network and venture capital firm Narya Capital.

2019: Board of advisors of the With Honor Fund

In 2019, J.D. Vance was on the board of advisors of the With Honor Fund.

November 11, 2020: Hillbilly Elegy film released in select theaters

On November 11, 2020, the film version of "Hillbilly Elegy" was released in select theaters.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Check it on Amazon

2020: Board of advisors of American Moment

From 2020 to 2023, J.D. Vance was on the board of advisors of American Moment.

2020: Raised funds for Narya Capital

In 2020, J.D. Vance raised $93 million for Narya Capital and invested in Rumble.

2020: Our Ohio Renewal advisory board members

In 2020, Our Ohio Renewal's advisory board members were Keith Humphreys, Jamil Jivani, Yuval Levin, and Sally Satel.

2020: Remarks on childless people

In a 2020 podcast interview, JD Vance said that being childless "makes people more sociopathic and ultimately our whole country a little bit less, less mentally stable".

March 2021: Peter Thiel Donates to Protect Ohio Values PAC

In March 2021, Peter Thiel donated $10 million to Protect Ohio Values, a super PAC created the previous month to support a potential candidacy of JD Vance.

March 2021: Suggested higher taxes for childless people

In a March 2021 interview on The Charlie Kirk Show, JD Vance suggested that childless people should be taxed at a higher rate than those with children.

April 2021: Vance left the board of AppHarvest

From March 2017 to April 2021, J.D. Vance was on the board of directors of the startup AppHarvest.

July 1, 2021: Announced Senate campaign

On July 1, 2021, JD Vance officially announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate in Ohio.

2021: Our Ohio Renewal closed

By 2021, Our Ohio Renewal closed with sparse achievements.

2021: Fox News Interview Comments

In 2021, JD Vance said in a Fox News interview, "we are effectively run in this country via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too."

May 3, 2022: Won Republican primary

On May 3, 2022, JD Vance won the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Ohio with 32% of the vote, defeating Josh Mandel and Matt Dolan, among others.

2022: Criticism of Our Ohio Renewal during Senate campaign

During J.D. Vance's 2022 U.S. Senate campaign, Tim Ryan criticized the charity Our Ohio Renewal as a front for Vance's political ambitions.

2022: Financial support for Senate campaign

In 2022, David Sacks gave a super PAC supporting JD Vance's Senate campaign $900,000, and Peter Thiel added $15 million.

2022: Elected to the Senate

In 2022, J.D. Vance was elected to the Senate, defeating Democratic nominee Tim Ryan.

January 3, 2023: Sworn into the Senate

On January 3, 2023, JD Vance was sworn into the Senate as a member of the 118th United States Congress, representing Ohio.

January 31, 2023: Endorsed Donald Trump

On January 31, 2023, JD Vance publicly endorsed former president Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries.

March 1, 2023: Co-sponsored bipartisan legislation

On March 1, 2023, JD Vance and Senator Sherrod Brown co-sponsored bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing derailments similar to the one in East Palestine, Ohio, but the bill ultimately failed due to a lack of support within the Republican caucus.

June 2023: Voted against raising the debt ceiling

In June 2023, JD Vance voted against raising the debt ceiling, opposing the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 because he believed it would lead to a reduced military strength amid rising threats from China.

July 2023: Introduced legislation on gender-affirming care

In July 2023, JD Vance, along with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, introduced legislation that would have made gender-affirming care for minors a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

2023: Our Ohio Renewal Foundation raised funds

From 2017 to 2023, the Our Ohio Renewal Foundation raised around $69,000.

2023: Board of advisors of American Moment

From 2020 to 2023, J.D. Vance was on the board of advisors of American Moment.

2023: Became a U.S. Senator

In 2023, James David Vance began representing Ohio in the United States Senate.

May 15, 2024: Fundraising dinner with Trump

On May 15, 2024, Donald Trump attended a $50,000 per head private fundraising dinner with JD Vance in Cincinnati.

June 2024: Sponsored Dismantle DEI Act

In June 2024, JD Vance sponsored the Dismantle DEI Act, which aimed to ban federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and funding for agencies, contractors, and organizations receiving federal funds.

July 15, 2024: Selected as Trump's running mate

On July 15, 2024, the first day of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he had chosen JD Vance as his running mate.

July 2024: Legislative Activity

Data from mid-July 2024 indicated that JD Vance had made 45 Senate speeches and sponsored 57 legislative bills, none of which had passed the Senate. He had also co-sponsored 288 bills, of which two passed both the Senate and the House but were vetoed by President Biden.

July 2024: Negative Approval Rating

In July 2024, a CNN poll analysis after the Republican National Convention showed a net-negative approval rating for JD Vance, leading some to question his selection as a running mate.

July 2024: Comments on Kamala Harris

In late July 2024, after President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy and Vice President Kamala Harris became a presidential candidate, JD Vance said that Kamala Harris does not have the same baggage as Joe Biden.

July 26, 2024: Clarified remarks about childless cat ladies

On July 26, 2024, JD Vance clarified his remarks about childless cat ladies on The Megyn Kelly Show, stating that it wasn't a criticism of people without children but rather about criticizing the Democratic Party for becoming anti-family and anti-child.

August 2024: Vance claimed Trump would veto national abortion ban

In August 2024, JD Vance stated that Donald Trump had explicitly said that he would veto a national abortion ban.

August 2024: Remarks on Vice President's Influence

In August 2024, JD Vance stated that a vice president "doesn't really matter" and characterized Kamala Harris as a "bad vice president".

August 2024: Supported increased child tax credit

In an August 2024 interview on Face the Nation, JD Vance expressed his support for increasing the child tax credit from $2,000 per child to $5,000 per child.

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September 2024: Our Ohio Renewal Foundation has not spent any funds

As of September 2024, the Our Ohio Renewal Foundation had not spent any funds since 2019.

September 2024: Alleged Haitian immigrants caused chaos

In September 2024, JD Vance alleged that Haitian illegal immigrants were draining social services and causing chaos in Springfield, Ohio, and that reports showed they were abducting and eating pets.

September 2024: Trump Responds to Vance's Statement

In September 2024, during his debate with Kamala Harris, Donald Trump was asked about JD Vance's statement regarding a veto of a national abortion ban, and he responded that he hadn't discussed it with Vance.

September 2024: Spoke at Event Organized by Lance Wallnau

In late September 2024, JD Vance spoke at a western Pennsylvania town hall event organized by Lance Wallnau, who has promoted election denialism and called Kamala Harris a "demon".

October 1, 2024: Vice Presidential Debate

The vice presidential debate was held on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. EDT at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.

October 2024: Favorability rose after vice-presidential debate

After the October 2024 vice-presidential debate, a CBS News/YouGov poll found that JD Vance's favorability rose from 40% to 49%.

October 2024: JD Vance questioned 2020 election results

In October 2024, JD Vance stated that he did not believe Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election and alleged that Big Tech rigged the election through censorship.

2024: Selected as Trump's Running Mate

In 2024, J.D. Vance was selected as Donald Trump's running mate in the presidential election and resigned from the Senate before his inauguration as vice president.

January 3, 2025: End of first Senate term

January 3, 2025 marked the end of JD Vance's first term as Ohio's junior senator.

January 20, 2025: Became Vice President

On January 20, 2025, JD Vance was sworn in as the 50th vice president of the United States by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Prior to his inauguration, he met with China's vice president Han Zheng to discuss China-United States relations.

February 2025: Vance speaks at Munich Security Conference

In February 2025, JD Vance expressed concerns about internal threats to Europe, rather than Russia or China, during a speech at the Munich Security Conference. His comments were perceived by some as a shift in EU-U.S. relations, marking a potential 'ideological war'.

February 2025: Remarks on Judges' Power

In February 2025, after multiple federal judges issued temporary rulings against various Trump administration actions, JD Vance wrote, "judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power".

February 28, 2025: Vance meets Zelenskyy at the White House

On February 28, 2025, JD Vance and Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. During the meeting, Vance advocated for diplomacy with Russia, leading to a tense exchange with Zelenskyy about the ongoing conflict and the need for gratitude towards the U.S.

March 2025: Vance visits Greenland

In March 2025, JD Vance became the first sitting U.S. vice president to visit Greenland, advocating for the U.S. to acquire the territory and warning about the influence of China and Russia. He criticized Denmark's investment in Greenland's security.

2025: Future Board Membership

In 2025, American Moment is affiliated with Project 2025.

2025: End of Senate Term

In 2025, James David Vance's term as a U.S. Senator for Ohio ended.

February 2026: Vance visits Armenia

In February 2026, JD Vance made history as the first sitting U.S. vice president to visit Armenia. During his visit, he met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, aiming to progress a U.S.-brokered agreement designed to resolve a long-standing conflict with Azerbaijan.