Former United States president Donald Trump on Monday named Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential nominee at the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, a day after he dodged an assassination attempt.
This appointment comes as a turnaround for the 39-year-old senator who was once critical of the 78-year-old Republican presidential nominee.
However, for the success he has achieved so far, he has one person he is thankful for and that is his Indian-origin wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance.
Usha, who has roots in India’s Andhra Pradesh, was born in California to Indian immigrants.
Her presence at the RNC was noted as her background adds a diverse dimension to her husband’s candidacy.
So let’s learn more about her.
Who is Usha Chilukuri Vance?
Usha grew up in the suburbs of San Diego and attended Mt Carmel High School located in Rancho Penasquitos, according to her LinkedIn profile.
According to the New York Times, she attended Yale Law School, where she met JD in 2013 and worked with him to organise a discussion group on the subject of “social decline in white America”.
The two quickly bonded soon after and she ended up becoming JD’s “Yale spirit guide”. The couple got married in 2014 after graduating from Yale Law School and have three children together, including two sons, Ewan and Vivek, and a daughter, Mirabel
Usha holds a BA in history from Yale University and an MPhil in early modern history from the University of Cambridge.
During her time at Yale, Usha served as the executive development editor of the Yale Law Journal and managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law and Technology.
She participated in the Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic, the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic and the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, People reported.
She has been a skilled litigator since 2015 and has experience in complex civil litigation and appeals across various sectors, including education, government and healthcare.
Usha, who has been registered to vote as a Republican in Ohio since 2018, has accompanied her husband in his political journey, often providing guidance and support.
With a decorative career, Usha could potentially be creating history by entering the White House if her husband is elected and assumes the role of vice president.
