MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — JD Vance will join Donald Trump in the White House as his vice president.
Decision Desk HQ projected Trump to be re-elected early Wednesday morning, meaning he is bringing the Middletown-native with him.
The Middletown, Ohio native and "Hillbilly Elegy" author was endorsed by Trump during his run for the Ohio Senate, though the pair's relationship has occasionally been rocky.
Trump boosted Vance's career, and Vance has returned the favor by unceasingly defending Trump's policies and behavior. His debating skills, ability to articulate Trump's vision and fundraising prowess were assets for the campaign.
Vance returned to Cincinnati to cast his vote on Election Day.
Vance arrived at St. Anthony Padua Church on Victory Parkway Tuesday morning to vote, along with his wife and children.
He addressed members of the media outside of the precinct after he cast his ballot.
"Look, I feel good," said Vance.
Vance said his family planned to head home after voting before heading off to Palm Springs to await the election results.
He added that he believes Trump's policies "are going to promote peace and prosperity for our citizens."
Trump announced Vance as his VP pick back in the middle of July, just before the Republican National Convention kicked off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
"After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance from the Great State of Ohio," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
It's far from where Vance's relationship with Trump started. His best-selling book gained Vance a reputation as a “Trump whisperer” able to help explain the maverick New York businessman's appeal in middle America, but Vance was a never-Trumper in 2016. He called Trump “dangerous” and “unfit” for office. Vance, whose wife, lawyer Usha Chilukuri Vance, is Indian-American and the mother of their three children, also criticized Trump's racist rhetoric, saying he could be “America's Hitler.”
But not everyone sees the book — later adapted into a Ron Howard-directed film, starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams — that way. It ignited criticism from scholars across Appalachia, many of whom said it trafficked in cheap stereotypes and failed to diagnose the origins of the region's troubled history or offer workable policy solutions.
