Treasure Coast Sun

Sandra Gunderman, a Vero Beach resident and member of the St. John of the Cross parish, said Republican VP nominee JD Vance's resilience and character make him a good leader for the country.

“It’s Divine inspiration. JD Vance has such a strong character; he’s a good man,” Gunderman said. “He was raised very poor. His mother was an addict and his father wasn’t present. And, I think that the way he rose from his circumstances shows great resilience. He reminds me a lot of Donald Trump.”

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance was named as Former President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump’s running mate and Vice President at the beginning of the Republican National Convention.

If Trump and Vance win the 2024 election, Vance will become the first Catholic vice president of the Republican party.

“It’s good to be home and I do think the Catholic Church is my home,” said Vance in an interview with Brian Burch, President of CatholicVote.

Vance, 39, was first elected to serve Ohio in the U.S. Senate in the Nov. 2022 General Election. He defeated U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), winning 53% to Ryan’s 47%.

Vance served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007, graduated from Ohio State University, and received a J.D. from Yale University Law School.

He also is the author of the 2016 book, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” which reached The New York Times Bestseller list in 2016 and 2017.

A Middletown, Ohio native, Vance lives with his wife and three children.