The Ohio senator, J.D. Vance’s relationship with his grandparents, James and Bonnie Blanton Vance, was significant.
After a challenging childhood marked by his father leaving when he was young and his mother struggling with addiction, J.D. Vance grew up with his grandparents.
Highlights
- J.D. Vance’s grandparents, James and Bonnie Blanton Vance, played a crucial role in raising him and his sister after their parents separated.
- Despite his current Republican affiliation, Vance’s grandparents were loyal Union Democrats, which shaped his understanding of political views.
- In his 2022 Senate victory speech, Vance acknowledged his Mamaw’s enduring influence and vowed never to forget her.
Moreover, J.D.’s relationship with his grandparents became the central focus of his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” which later became a movie.
Gabriel Basso starred as Vance, and his Mamaw was played by Glenn Close, who earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
J.D. Vance’s Grandparents, James and Bonnie Vance’s Upbringing, Helped Him Gain Political Prominence!
J.D. Vance‘s maternal grandparents, James (1929-1997) and Bonnie Blanton Vance (1933-2005), originally came from Jackson, Kentucky.
In the late 1940s, they relocated to Middletown, Ohio, when Jim was 16 and Bonnie was 13 and were not married then.
During Vance’s early years, his mother Beverly battled substance abuse and addiction, which often led to aggressive actions.
In a 2017 interview with Megyn Kelly, Vance recounted a terrifying car ride with his mother, during which she allegedly threatened their lives.
Following this incident, his mother was arrested, and Vance and his sister, Lindsey, moved in with their grandmother.
At birth, Vance was named James Donald Bowman. After his mother’s remarriage, his name was changed to James David Hamel.
When his grandparents took him in, he adopted their last name and became J.D. Vance.
Over the years, Vance, recently named Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidate for the 2024 election, has often praised his late grandmother.
Despite J.D. Vance’s Republican affiliation today, his grandparents were loyal Union Democrats.
He reflects on their political views, describing them as “classic blue-dog Democrats, union Democrats,” adding that “they loved their country” and “were socially conservative.”
In his victory speech upon winning a Senate seat in 2022, Vance acknowledged his Mamaw’s influence, saying,
“You’re not always going to agree with every vote that I take, and you’re not going to agree with every single amendment that I offer in the United States Senate, but I will never forget the woman who raised me.”
J.D. Vance
Vance also talks about his faith and his grandmother’s perspective on Christianity. She strongly loved the Christian faith and God, which were integral to her life.
However, she was not affiliated with a conventional religious organization and did not attend church.
Moreover, Vance mentioned that his Mamaw and Papaw profoundly influenced his life, particularly during his teenage years, and spoke about his deep connection with grandma, mentioning,
“She really just got me. She understood when I needed someone to push me, when I needed love and comfort, and when she just needed to be sympathetic. She was incredibly smart.”
J.D. Vance
Additional Information
- J.D. graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in political science and philosophy and then enrolled at Yale Law School in 2010.
- Vance’s biological parents, Donald Bowman and Bev Vance, divorced when he was a toddler.
- James wrote in Hillbilly Elegy, “To understand me, you must understand that I am a Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart.”
