James David Vance is an American politician and entrepreneur, Vice President of the United States (2025 – present), U.S. Senator from Ohio (2023 – 2025), Marine Corps veteran.
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on August 2, 1984 in Middletown, Ohio.
His parents divorced when he was still young. During his childhood, his mother had serious problems with heroin and opioid addiction, so his grandparents played a major role in his upbringing.
He received his secondary education at Middletown Public School.
In 2009, Vance graduated from The Ohio State University, where he studied political science and philosophy with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 2013, he graduated from Yale Law School.
Military service
In 2003, he joined the US Marine Corps, where he served as a military journalist in the 2nd Marine Wing.
In 2005, he was sent to Iraq on a six-month non-combat mission – he was engaged in writing articles and photographing. He received the rank of corporal, and in 2007 he completed his military service.
Career
After graduating from Yale Law School, Vance worked on the team of Republican Senator John Cornyn. For a year, he served as a clerk to Judge David Banning, who served in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Vance subsequently began his legal career at Sidley Austin, where he practiced corporate law. After working in this field for less than two years, he moved to San Francisco, where he began working in technology as a venture capitalist.
Between 2016 and 2017, he served asa director at the venture capital firm Mithril Capital, which was founded by Peter Thiel. In 2017, he joined the venture capital firm Revolution LLC, created by AOL co-founder Steve Case, becoming his business partner.
Political Activities
In 2022, during the Republican primaries for the selection of a senatorial candidate, Vance enlisted the support of the current head of the White House Donald Trump, journalist Tucker Carlson and businessman Peter Thiel. On November 8, he won the elections to the Senate.
On July 15, 2024, on the eve of the Republican National Convention, it was announced on the Truth Social social network that Vance had become Trump’s candidate for vice president of the United States. Despite the fact that during the 2016 election campaign he opposed the businessman, he later became an active supporter of him during his first term as president.
On January 10, 2025, Vance resigned as a senator to prepare to take office as vice president of the United States.
Position on the war in Ukraine
On April 20, 2023, Vance, along with 18 other members of the Republican Party, signed an appeal to then-US President Joe Biden. The letter said that, according to the signatories, the United States should stop providing Ukraine with unlimited support. It was also noted that they would categorically oppose further aid packages if they were not accompanied by a clear diplomatic strategy that would provide for a quick end to the war.
On April 24, 2024, Vance voted against a new aid package for Ukraine.
During his tenure as vice president, he repeatedly criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Marital Status
In 2014, Vance married Usha Chilukuri, who studied with him at Yale Law School.
Usha is of Indian origin. At one time, she graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in history, and also received a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Cambridge. She previously worked as a clerk for US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, but left her post after Donald Trump nominated Vance as a vice presidential candidate.
The couple has three children – Yuen, Viveca and Mirabel.
