Sen. J.D. Vance got personal when discussing abortion on the vice-presidential debate stage Tuesday night, admitting that he knows someone “dear” to him who had an abortion.

“I grew up in a working-class family in a neighborhood where I knew a lot of young women who had unplanned pregnancies and decided to terminate those pregnancies because they feel like they didn’t have any other options,” said Mr. Vance of Ohio, former President Donald Trump’s running mate. 

“One of them is actually very dear to me, and I know she’s watching tonight, and I love you,” he said. “And she told me something a couple years ago that she felt like if she hadn’t had that abortion, that it would have destroyed her life because she was in an abusive relationship.”

This was the first time Mr. Vance has added a personal story to his stance on the abortion issue. Democrats have frequently used stories from women in their abortion conversations, with some of the women even coming to the Democratic National Convention in August.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.