American author, JD Vance, was educated at Middletown High School, a public high school in his hometown.

After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served in the Iraq War with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, performing public affairs activities.

Vance later graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and philosophy. While at Ohio State, he worked for Republican State Senator Bob Schuler.

After graduating from Ohio State, Vance received a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. During his first year at Yale Law, his mentor and professor Amy Chua convinced him to write his memoir.

Vance is best known for his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which attracted significant press attention during the 2016 election.

He is the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio, having announced his candidacy to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Rob Portman on July 1, 2021.

On May 3, 2022, he won the Republican primary and will face off against Democratic nominee Tim Ryan in the November general election.