Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio)on Wednesday gave his first speech since being nominated as the Republican vice presidential nominee, which could offer a glimpse into his future role in the presidential campaign.
The “Hillbilly Elegy” author mentioned his home state of Ohio 12 times during his speech. “Don’t forget the love for Ohio. We’ve got to win Michigan, too,” Vance, an Ohio State University graduate, told the crowd.
The next most mentioned states were Michigan and Pennsylvania, both mentioned six times by Vance.
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Senator J.D. Vance mentioned the Rust Belt in his speech at the Republican National Convention, promising not to forget where he came from. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Kentucky is also important to Vance because he spent part of his childhood with his grandmother, “Mamaw,” and the Republican mentioned the state four times, despite it being a traditionally Republican state unlike other states.
Vance also mentioned Wisconsin, a key Midwestern battleground state that is hosting the Republican National Convention, three times.
The reason Vance is focusing on these Rust Belt states is that former President Trump has already indicated his intention to use Vance to his advantage in Midwestern battleground states.
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Gabriel Basso, Amy Adams and Haley Bennett in “Hillbilly Elegy.” (Netflix)
“[Trump] “I just said, ‘Look, I think this country needs to be saved, and I think you’re the person who can help me best.'” Vance retrieves Trump’s cell phone He was called out on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
“You’re going to help me govern. You’re going to help me win. You’re going to help me in Pennsylvania, Michigan and some other Midwest states,” Trump reportedly told him.
Vance was elected to the Ohio State Senate in 2022 and has served there ever since. He has a high profile in Ohio, as he has focused much of his time in Congress on Ohio workers and families. For example, even though the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment that spilled chemicals into the surrounding area is no longer a regular feature in the news, Vance continues to actively promote railroad regulatory reform.
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Senator J.D. Vance at the scene of a train derailment in Ohio. (Senator J.D. Vance)
The senator also made headlines when he broke with the Republican Party’s traditional anti-union stance and joined striking United Auto Workers members in Toledo, Ohio.
Trump and Vance appear to see the Ohio Republican as key to building relationships with disaffected white workers in the Rust Belt. 2016 Interview After the publication of his memoir, Vance explained, “I may be white, but I don’t identify with Northeastern WASPs. Rather, I identify with the millions of white, working-class Scots-Irish Americans who don’t have a college degree.”
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Striking United Auto Workers union members picket outside the Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio, on September 19, 2023. (Reuters/Rebecca Cook)
“For these people, poverty is a family tradition. Their ancestors were day laborers in the southern slave economy, then sharecroppers, then coal miners and more recently mechanics and factory workers. Americans call them hillbillies, rednecks or white trash. I call them my neighbors, friends and family,” he said at the time.
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In his speech Wednesday, Vance made a promise to this very group: “To the people of Middletown, Ohio, and to the people of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and forgotten communities in every corner of this country, I promise you: I will be a vice president who never forgets where I come from,” he said.
Shortly after Vance was announced as Trump’s running mate, the campaign announced an indoor rally in Michigan this Saturday. Both Trump and Vance will address voters at the Grand Rapids rally. The rally will be Trump’s first since the assassination attempt at an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania last weekend.
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