The third day of the Republican National Convention will put U.S. Sen JD Vance in the spotlight as he speaks to delegates and a prime-time national audience to formally accept his nomination as Donald Trump’s running mate.
The 39-year-old former venture capitalist and author is a favorite of many in Trump’s conservative evangelical base who see him as a fighter who could fulfill Trump’s wish to pick a running mate who “can be a good president.”
The speech is expected to begin around 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Expect a speech that introduces his family — his wife, Usha, and their three children — and his endorsement of Trump’s policies.
Also expected is a Georgia connection. State Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat and not a fan, will be live-tweeting during the speech from the Georgia Senate Democrats account on X (@GASenateDems). McLaurin was Vance’s roommate at Yale Law School.
Vance, born and raised in Middletown, part of southwest Ohio between Cincinnati and Dayton, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022.
Despite his relative celebrity after publishing the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” he is unknown to many Americans — and even to many top Republicans in Milwaukee this week. A poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research taken before his nomination found 6 in 10 Americans don’t know enough about Vance to form an opinion.
Vance beat out North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida to be Trump’s running mate. He has developed a strong rapport with the former president over the years, speaking regularly by phone.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
