History of JD Vance in Timeline
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.
August 2, 1984: Birth of James David Vance
On August 2, 1984, James David Vance, originally named James Donald Bowman, was born. He later became an author and politician.
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.
December 2005: Participated in roundtable discussion with Vice President Dick Cheney
In December 2005, while serving in the Marines, J.D. Vance participated in a roundtable discussion with Vice President Dick Cheney.
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.
2009: Graduated from Ohio State University
In 2009, J.D. Vance graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and philosophy from 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.
2010: Entered Yale Law School
In 2010, J.D. Vance entered Yale Law School and secured a staff position on The Yale Law Journal.
2011: Initiated rapport with Peter Thiel
In 2011, J.D. Vance initiated a rapport with Peter Thiel after attending his talk at Yale.
April 2013: Name changed to James David Vance
In April 2013, J.D. Vance legally changed his surname to Vance, his mother's maiden name, finalizing his name as James David Vance.
April 2013: Name Change
In April 2013, J.D. Vance officially changed his name to James David Vance.
May 2013: Graduated from Yale Law School
In May 2013, J.D. Vance obtained his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.
2013: Vance meets Usha Chilukuri
In 2013, JD Vance met Usha Chilukuri while they were both students at Yale Law School.
June 14, 2014: JD Vance marries Usha Chilukuri
On June 14, 2014, JD Vance and Usha Chilukuri married in Kentucky in an interfaith ceremony. The wedding included elements from both Christian and Hindu traditions.
2014: Incorrect Information about Name Change
The text mentions that in 2014, "Hillbilly Elegy" states that he adopted his grandparents' surname of Vance upon his marriage, which is incorrect.
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".
September 2016: Vance considers converting to Catholicism
By September 2016, while "not an active participant" in any particular Christian denomination, JD Vance mentioned he was "thinking very seriously about converting to Catholicism".
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.
2016: Vance criticizes Donald Trump
In 2016, JD Vance was a vocal critic of Donald Trump, describing him as 'reprehensible' and identifying as a 'never Trump guy'.
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: Hillbilly Elegy on The New York Times Best Seller list
In 2017, "Hillbilly Elegy" remained on The New York Times Best Seller list.
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.
2018: Vance purchases a home in Cincinnati
In 2018, JD Vance purchased a 157-year old home for $1,400,000 in East Walnut Hills, Cincinnati.
August 2019: Vance converts to Catholicism
In August 2019, JD Vance was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church, taking Augustine of Hippo as his confirmation saint. He cited intellectual reasons, alignment with his political views, and the influence of key people as factors in his conversion.
2019: Investigation of Our Ohio Renewal
According to the Associated Press and a 2019 ProPublica investigation, Our Ohio Renewal charity's biggest accomplishment was "tainted" by the ties among Satel, her employer, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Purdue Pharma.
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.
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".
2020: Vance would not have certified 2020 election results
JD Vance stated that if he had been vice president during the 2020 presidential election, he would not have certified the results. Instead, Vance said that some states Trump lost should have sent pro-Trump electors to Washington so that Congress could decide the election.
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: Vance supports Donald Trump
In 2021, JD Vance publicly announced his support for Donald Trump after declaring his Senate candidacy, apologizing for his previous criticisms and deleting some of his past comments. He also advised Trump to replace civil servants with Trump supporters.
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."
2021: Introduction to Trump
In 2021, Peter Thiel introduced JD Vance to Donald Trump.
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.
2022: Nate Vance fights for Ukraine
In 2022, JD Vance's cousin, Nate Vance, volunteered to fight for Ukraine following Russia's invasion, serving in the 'Da Vinci Wolves' unit.
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: AppHarvest went bankrupt
In 2023, AppHarvest went bankrupt while owing over $340 million.
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 backtracks on voting power stance
In August 2024, JD Vance backtracked on his earlier suggestion that parents should have more voting power than non-parents.
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.
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: 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.
2024: Zelenskyy visit to ammunition factory
In 2024, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a factory in Pennsylvania producing ammunition for Ukraine, coinciding with rising tensions between him and JD Vance, who criticized Zelenskyy's approach to the conflict and labeled him as 'too radical'. The visit raised suspicion among Republicans.
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: Cory Bowman runs for Cincinnati mayor
In 2025, Cory Bowman, JD Vance's half-brother, unsuccessfully ran for office in the Cincinnati mayoral election.
2025: End of Senate Term
In 2025, James David Vance's term as a U.S. Senator for Ohio ended.
2025: Nate Vance criticizes JD's stance on Ukraine
In 2025, Nate Vance criticized JD Vance and Donald Trump's stance on Ukraine, accusing them of aiding Russia. He expressed disappointment that JD did not seek his input on the war.
2025: Project 2025
In 2025, The Heritage Foundation, which drafted Project 2025, privately advocated for Vance to be Trump's running mate.
January 20, 2026: JD and Usha Vance announce they are expecting a fourth child
On January 20, 2026, JD and Usha Vance announced that they are expecting their fourth child, a boy, due in the summer.
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.
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