In 2016, when Donald Trump selected Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice-presidential candidate, it was largely perceived as an attempt to appeal to evangelical Christian voters who might have been hesitant to support Trump, a thrice-divorced former Democrat. This election cycle, Trump chose JD Vance. Similar to his previous selection, the Ohio senator’s nomination offers a glimpse into the former president’s campaign strategy—and possibly, his governance style should he return to the White House.
This decision indicates Trump’s awareness that this election’s outcome hinges on a few pivotal industrial Midwest battleground states. Hailing from Ohio, Vance gained widespread recognition following the release of his bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which chronicles his working-class upbringing and its influence on his political views and perspectives.
With his background, Vance seems well-suited to resonate with and invigorate the white, working-class voters who narrowly secured those states for Trump in 2016. The former president highlighted this in his social media post announcing his decision, stating that his running mate “will be ardently focused on the people he so valiantly represented—the American workers and farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and beyond.”
Trump further praised Vance’s military service and his Ivy League law school credentials. At just 39 years old, Vance offers a youthful contrast to the candidates leading both presidential tickets. Trump’s choice positions the Ohioan at the vanguard of a new wave of MAGA Republicans. Should Trump return to the Oval Office next year, Vance would immediately become a contender in the discourse for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
