'She seemed some sort of genetic anomaly': Meet Indian-origin Usha Chilukuri Vance, wife of Trump's VP pick JD Vance
On July 15th, former United States President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced his selection of Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate for the upcoming presidential election in November. This significant decision means that if Trump secures victory, Vance will become the next Vice President of the United States.
The 39-year-old Vance, born and raised in Ohio, brings an Indian connection to the campaign through his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, who is of Indian origin. This connection could carry notable significance for U.S.-India relations.
Who is Usha Chilukuri Vance?
Usha Chilukuri Vance, a trial lawyer and judicial clerk, traces her origins to Andhra Pradesh.?
She boasts an impressive academic background, holding a bachelor's degree in History from Yale University and a Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge, according to the New York Times.?
During her time at Yale, Usha volunteered to help the homeless, tutored public school students, and edited a public school advocacy magazine called Our Education.?
She also learned cultural dances associated with ballet folklorico.
Raised in a San Diego suburb, Ms. Usha served as Managing Editor of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology and Executive Development Editor of The Yale Law Journal, as noted in a biography from Munger, Tolles & Olson law firm.
After four years of intense extracurricular activities at Yale, she continued her studies as a Gates fellow at Cambridge, where she engaged with left-wing and liberal groups and was a registered Democrat in 2014.
Usha has built a remarkable career in the legal field, clerking for Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh before Kavanaugh's nomination to the Court.?
Usha and JD Vance first met at Yale Law School, where Vance was instantly smitten.?
"She seemed some sort of genetic anomaly, a combination of every positive quality a human being should have: bright, hardworking, tall, and beautiful," he wrote in his memoir.?
They were married in Kentucky in 2014, with a Hindu priest presiding over a separate ceremony, according to the New York Times. The couple has three children together.
In 2015, she started as an associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson, a law firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, handling "complex civil litigation and appeals" in sectors including higher education, local government, entertainment, and technology.
For years, Senator Vance has described his wife as a key part of his success, dating back to their time together at Yale University.
"She instinctively understood the questions I didn't even know to ask, and she always encouraged me to seek opportunities that I didn't know existed," Vance wrote in his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.
In a 2020 interview on "The Megyn Kelly Show," he said, "I'm one of those guys who really benefits from having sort of a powerful female voice over his left shoulder saying, 'Don't do that, do that.'
"Now, it's Usha."
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