Don’t hold the youth and short political career of Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) against him as he takes the nomination as the Republican vice presidential candidate tonight.
That’s the message from one of his top allies, Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN).
“He’s from a place like I’m from. You’re understated and you’re underestimated,” Braun said in an interview of the 39-year-old ex-Marine, Yale Law School graduate, and author of the New York Times bestseller Hillbilly Elegy.
Since Vance’s 2022 election, Braun has worked with him on legislation more than nearly any other senator. They have co-authored 10 items in under two years.
“I first met J.D. back when his book hit the shelves, and I was impressed by his ideas and optimism for revitalizing the industrial Midwest,” Braun said. “I’ve been fortunate to get to know him better in the Senate, working with him on legislation like the Railway Safety Act, which he led after the East Palestine disaster. J.D. Vance knows firsthand the experience of the forgotten American family and is proof that there’s no limit to how high you can rise in our country with hard work and strong values.”
Vance has been criticized for his short legislative record, though Braun noted that former President Barack Obama wasn’t in the Senate much longer when he announced for president.
Braun told Secrets that Vance is ready to be president should something happen to former President Donald Trump, if he is elected again.
Comparing his political rise to Obama’s, Braun said, “I mean, look at the two. They come out of rising that quickly, maybe J.D. a little more than Barack, but very close. And you know, he comes in an age that would be testing that theory, both in terms of maturity, even outside of politics, and I think he can. He’s impressed me when he weighs in on the issues of being articulate, somebody that everybody in our caucus does listen to, pays attention to.”
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Braun, a one-term senator who recently won the Republican Indiana gubernatorial nomination, described Vance as easy to work with.
“Know him well, very articulate, very kind of calm in demeanor,” Braun said. “You’ve read his resume, and that’s a very unlikely one to ascend to becoming a U.S. senator, and anybody that can get through Yale Law School summa cum laude — I didn’t know that until I heard it just a day or so ago — that’s a rare combination of intellect, common sense, and knowing how to navigate through life fairly well at an early age. So I do know him well. He’s part of the group of senators that are there now that would be looking for some dynamic change within our U.S. Senate or government in general,” said Braun.