Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

As I delve into the life story of JD Vance, a man who has navigated the complexities of life with grace and resilience, I am deeply moved by his journey. Born into a family where opportunities were scarce, he rose above the odds to become a successful author, venture capitalist, and now a United States Senator.


There is a new administration moving to Washington, D.C.

According to NBC News, it’s been officially projected that Donald Trump will secure victory in the 2024 presidential election, with JD Vance as his Vice President-elect. They outperformed Democratic nominees Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

However, Trump served as president from 2017 to 2021 alongside Vice President Mike Pence (before being defeated by Joe Biden), but for the 2024 election, the President-elect has introduced a fresh name on his ticket – Ohio Senator JD Vance.

In July, a declaration was made, and at that point, the individual in question, aged 40, was still quite fresh to the political arena, having taken up the role of Senator only in 2022. Notably, he was primarily recognized for his 2016 book “Hillbilly Elegy,” which delves into his family’s working-class background in rural areas and upbringing by his grandmother.

He expressed, during the Republican convention in July, that his foremost aspiration for the American Dream was to become a loving spouse and an excellent father. He yearned to provide his children with the experiences and opportunities he himself lacked while growing up.

And, as he continued, “That’s the accomplishment that I’m proudest of.”

Of course, during the entire campaign, his spouse, Usha Chilukri, was by his side, along with their children Ewan (age 7), Vivek (age 4), and Mirabel (age 2).

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

When Trump garnered the required 270 electoral votes to win the presidency, Vance promptly rejoiced at Trump being number one.

The Ohio native expressed gratitude for being invited along on this remarkable voyage, adding that they believed they had just been part of the most spectacular political resurgence in the history of the USA.

He continued, “And under President Trump’s leadership, we’re never going to stop fighting for you.”

Now, let’s familiarize ourselves with the individuals who have stood by his side the most. Continue reading to uncover details about the genealogy of the Vice President-elect’s family.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

In his 2016 best-seller “Hillbilly Elegy,” JD Vance refers to his beloved grandmother, whom he nicknamed Mamaw, who was actually Bonnie Eloise Blanton. She was born on April 16, 1933, in Keck, Ky. Mamaw spent her childhood in Jackson with her parents Hattie (née Hounshell) and Blaine Blanton, along with five brothers and two sisters.

Bonnie and James Vance, also known as “Papaw”, became acquainted when they were children. By the time Bonnie was 13 and James 16, it’s said in ‘Hillbilly Elegy’, she had already become pregnant for the first time. They then made a hurried exit from their town to Dayton, Ohio, eventually finding a home in Middletown, which is within the Cincinnati metropolitan area. (The child Bonnie gave birth to at 14 lived for only a short while, as Vance wrote.)

Mamaw and Papaw had a son named Jim Vance, as well as daughters Beverly and Lori. Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that Vance’s grandmother experienced at least eight miscarriages before the births of her son and him.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

Granny was strong-willed, honorable, notoriously blunt, and fiercely vigilant about her loved ones, as Vance put it. She was swift to brandish a firearm in defense of her family (and he hinted at stories of her occasionally discharging one).

In her interview with NPR in 2016, Vance mentioned that although she identified as Christian, she harbored doubts about many aspects of organized Christianity due to her perception that people were more focused on soliciting funds rather than deeply embracing their faith.

In 2017, Vance shared with NBC News that throughout his life, “she truly resonated with me.” “She recognized when I required someone to support me during tough times,” he said. “She knew when I needed affection and comfort. She understood when she had to offer sympathy. She was incredibly intelligent.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

In a published notice, it was shared that Grandmother passed away on April 24, 2005, at the age of 72, following a struggle with pneumonia. However, as her family went through her belongings after her death, they discovered a total of 19 guns that were hidden throughout her home, as detailed in a book written by her grandson.

They found that because she wasn’t as agile in her later years, she had numerous guns so that wherever she was, she could always easily reach whatever she needed to safeguard her family, according to Vance during his Republican National Convention speech.

In the 2020 movie version of “Hillbilly Elegy,” directed by Ron Howard, Glenn Close portrayed Mamaw and donned the real eyewear that belonged to her character Bonnie, with Amy Adams playing Beverly alongside her.

Vance shared with his cousin and ex-reporter Bonnie Meiber (who happens to be Lori’s daughter) in 2020 that certain aspects of Mamaw can’t be fully captured, but he believes Glenn did an exceptional job considering the circumstances. He added that while Glenn’s portrayal is his interpretation, it still manages to encapsulate a good part of Mamaw’s spirit. For those intrigued by understanding who Mamaw was, this is a fairly accurate depiction.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

In the book “Hillbilly Elegy“, Vance describes his tumultuous bond with his mother, Beverly. Despite being a trained nurse, Beverly grappled with substance abuse issues and was prone to aggression, as he recounts, and she had multiple partners. Frequently, Beverly would relocate him and his half-sister Lindsay, and more times than not, the two children resided with their grandparents – Mamaw and Papaw.

As stated in his book, there was an instance where Vance deceived a judge about his mother’s conduct following her arrest for domestic violence. This act was done to prevent him from being removed from her care and placed into foster care. In an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air in 2016, he described Beverly as a truly remarkable individual who put forth great effort but struggled somewhat to shake off the shadows of her past.

Additionally, he mentioned that even though his mother was unpredictable, he trusted that his grandmother would safeguard him. He expressed, “I was certain that nothing truly harmful would befall me under her watch.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

At the conclusion of the “Hillbilly Elegy” movie, released in November 2020, the credits shared that my beloved aunt Beverly had been maintaining sobriety for six years. According to my dear cousin Bonnie, she’d witnessed her aunt receiving a five-year sobriety token at AA meetings that January.

Beverly shared with Bonnie, “I’ve given up numerous times, thinking each time was my final moment, but I can’t understand why these weren’t truly my last attempts. If only I knew the secret, I would store it and offer it for sale. I wonder what transforms you to eventually realize that things have gone too far.

In an interview with the New York Times in September, Beverly – who appeared alongside Vance at the RNC in July – shared that her son’s book was “deeply moving in certain sections. Yet, it fostered growth within our family, and it initiated a dialogue among us that we had never truly engaged in before.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

As a dedicated alumna of a substance abuse recovery program, here I am, celebrating nearly a decade of sobriety. While I try my best to steer clear from the heated political news, my unwavering support for my son remains steadfast.

“You see this hometown boy who’s doing so good, you would think no matter what your politics, you would just want to get behind him and root him on,” she said. And since she was “ignoring the bad,” she explained, “I also have to ignore the good. I can live in my own little bubble and be comfortable.”

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

As a lifestyle advisor, I’d like to share an insightful moment from J.D. Vance’s memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” One afternoon, my mother picked me up from kindergarten and revealed a heart-wrenching truth: my father had chosen to part ways with us. This poignant experience underscores the resilience and strength that can be found in challenging circumstances.

He penned down that it was the most sorrowful he had ever been. Among all the aspects he detested about his upbringing, there was nothing as painful as the constant stream of men who came and went, playing the role of father figures in his life.

As an ardent follower, I’ve always been captivated by the life story of our vice presidential candidate. Born as James Donald Bowman, I learned that he was the child of Beverly and her second spouse, none other than Donald Bowman. Tragically, their marriage didn’t last, and young Vance found himself a toddler in a split household. Remarkably, when our hero was just six years old, his mother remarried for the third time to a gentleman named Bob Hamel, who graciously adopted him. This fascinating piece of information I uncovered in “Hillbilly Elegy.

Later on, Beverly opted to rename her son as James David Hamel, a move aimed at distancing herself from her ex, while still keeping his well-known nickname, “J.D.” (which eventually lost the periods).

In his book, Vance expressed that it seemed rather far-fetched, even back when he was only six years old. Any ordinary name starting with ‘D’ would have sufficed for the character, provided it wasn’t named Donald.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

During their separation, Vance continued to bear the surname Hamel (even during his service in the Marine Corps), while his mother adopted the last name of each husband she married. Later, upon marriage with Usha, they both chose the surname Vance, thereby aligning themselves with the same family name as Vance’s biological family.

In November 2023, Donald passed away at the age of 64. His obituary mentioned that he was preceded in death by his long-time spouse and five children, among whom is Vance.

Note: In 2021, JD decided to remove the periods from his moniker as he entered politics. This was confirmed by the Associated Press, who spoke with a representative from his Senate campaign, stating that his initials without punctuation are his preferred style.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

Vance was brought up mostly by his grandparents, Mamaw and Papaw, as his older half-sister Lindsay, born from Beverly’s first marriage, is five years senior. In his book, Vance mentioned that he didn’t find out about their half relationship until he was a child.

Lindsay told her cousin Bonnie for the Dayton Daily News in 2020 that “the child has never given me reason to doubt him,” emphasizing that “[JD] holds a piece of my heart that no one else will ever possess, and I’ll stand by his side until the end of my days. In times of trouble, he was always the one I thought of first.

Lindsay and husband Kevin Ratliff share three children.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

Usha Chilukuri, born on January 6, 1986, is the daughter of Krish, a mechanical engineer and university lecturer, and Lakshmi, a biologist and college provost. The family resides in San Diego, California, having moved there after emigrating from India. Usha pursued her undergraduate studies in history at Yale and later earned a Master of Philosophy degree at Clare College in Cambridge, England.

She encountered Vance, a graduate from Ohio State University in 2009 with dual majors in political science and philosophy, at the Yale Law School.

In May 2017, Usha mentioned to NBC News that we spent a lot of time in all our shared classes, allowing me to see him frequently throughout the day. At first, our relationship was just friendly, but then we were tasked with collaborating on a project, which made us even closer friends. I appreciated his dedication because he always showed up for the early morning appointments I set for us to work on the project together.

Vance smiled as he said, “She left no doubt that skipping our meeting wouldn’t go unpunished.” He remembered her as being “straightforward and utterly self-assured.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

The couple wed in an interfaith Christian-Hindu ceremony in Kentucky in 2014.

As a lifestyle expert looking back on my own journey, let me share an inspiring tale from my past. Post-law school, I had the privilege of serving as a clerk for several esteemed federal judges, among them the future Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. Just as I was about to embark on a Supreme Court clerkship, I discovered that I was pregnant in 2016. After welcoming my first child, Ewan, into the world in early June 2017, I returned to work under Chief Justice John Roberts at the end of the subsequent month. This story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and the balance between personal and professional life.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

On the 2020 episode of the Megyn Kelly Show podcast, Vance admitted, “Usha serves as a humbling influence for me. If I ever start to feel overly confident or arrogant, I simply recall that she has achieved far more than I have.

From 2019 up until 2024, following her husband being selected as Vice President candidate for ex-President Donald Trump, Usha served as a corporate litigator at the multi-state law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, which is headquartered in San Francisco.

In June, prior to Vance being part of the ticket, Usha expressed on Fox & Friends that she was not eager for any changes in their lives at the moment. However, she expressed belief in JD and her deep affection for him, so they would just have to wait and see what unfolds in their life.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

In May 2017, when they spoke to NBC News, Usha was nearing the end of her pregnancy at 37 weeks, as it was their first child. They discovered the gender of their baby as soon as feasible because JD simply couldn’t hold out any longer, as Usha explained.

She continued, “I believe he’ll make an exceptional father. He’s quite a tender soul, which is evident in how he narrates stories. However, it’s not just his manner of storytelling that shows this; even our dogs sense his kindness. They consider him as their parent, and I’ve observed this affection for years with other vulnerable creatures.

Ewan Blane Vance was born June 4, 2017.

Vance shared with NBC News that they anticipated the year would be quite unpredictable, which he likened to a typical rural, improvisational way of thinking. In other words, instead of organizing one’s life around personal plans, one adapts their lifestyle around unexpected events, such as an unplanned baby, and finds a way to make it work.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

Their second son, Vivek Vance, was born in February 2020.

As a devoted father, I had the honor of marking my son’s fourth birthday this year by reading Dr. Seuss’s “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” from the Senate floor, fully aware that this special moment would be preserved for future generations to remember.

Meet Vice President-Elect JD Vance’s Family: His Mamaw, Wife & Kids

In December 2021, the Vances welcomed their daughter, Mirabel Rose Vance, who served as an early Christmas gift for them. Her father shared on Instagram (before deleting the post and cleaning his account of earlier content from August 1st), “This year, we received a wonderful Christmas present ahead of schedule. Allow me to introduce Mirabel Rose Vance, our precious firstborn girl. Both mom and baby are thriving, and we’re filled with immense gratitude during this holiday season.

Although Vance moved to Washington, his family resides in Cincinnati, where they bought a 5,000-square-foot Victorian Gothic house from 1858 for about $1.4 million as stated by the New York Times in 2018.

Upon leaving her law firm in July, Usha shared with SFGATE that she intended to devote more time to taking care of her loved ones.

At the RNC, Vance expressed that his greatest embodiment of the American Dream was achieving excellence as a loving spouse and father. He aspired to provide his children with what he lacked during his childhood. This is the achievement about which he feels most proud.

Speaking directly into the camera, he said, “Kids, if you can hear me, I want you to know I adore you deeply. It’s now 10 pm, so please head to bed.

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2024-11-06 16:50