Middletown's Vance to celebrate VP pick in hometown rally today

Jul. 22—While accepting his nomination to join former President Donald Trump on the GOP's ticket, Ohio Sen. JD Vance promised to be a "vice president who never forgets where he came from" — a message that Republicans and Democrats alike expect him to hone in on when he kicks off his rally today at Middletown High School.

"Middletown made him who he is today," said state Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., who represents Vance's hometown in the Ohio House and known the senator for about eight years. "I think a lot of his speech will talk about the vision of President Trump and Vice President Vance, and what that means for hardworking Americans, but I think it's also a chance to thank Middletown and thank the area for everything it's ever done for him."

Vance, 39, is set to begin speaking at his high school alma mater at 1:30 p.m. in his first political event in Ohio since becoming running mate. If the pair wins this November, Vance will become Ohio's first vice president in American history.

The senator was a "Middie" at Middletown High up until his graduation in 2003 before joining the Marines, attending the Ohio State University, moving on to Yale Law, working in venture capital in Cincinnati and California, and becoming an Ohio U.S. senator in 2022.

Middletown was a central component of his 2016 best-selling autobiography "Hillbilly Elegy," an account of how his worldview had been shaped by his Butler County upbringing and his family's Appalachian and Kentucky roots.

But, Butler County Democratic Chair Kathy Wyenandt told this news outlet that whatever homage Vance plays to Middletown today will be "lip service."

"I've been in Butler County politics for the last 15 years, and the only time I have ever seen him around is when he's coming to the Republican party fundraiser at the county level," said Wyenandt, who characterized Vance a "fraud" for portraying himself as an everyday guy, given his Ivy League education, authorial acclaim and his career as a venture capitalist.

Hall, on the other hand, said he saw Vance's rise to power as "example 'A' of what the American dream can look like."

"I think anybody in Middletown or anybody in any small town in Ohio, or even America, can see that story and that show of resilience and strength that he had ever since a young age," Hall said.

Differences in opinion over Vance's messaging aside, Hall and Wyenandt both told this news organization that his nomination has left much of Butler County buzzing.

"His childhood house is about five minutes from my house. It's definitely crazy to think about," said Hall, who noted that he's "as excited as anyone" about Vance's nomination.

"I'm not going to deny that some people around Butler County are excited," Wyenandt said. "I know a lot of the Republican elected (officials) are head over heels as far as JD Vance's (nomination). He's young, and I know there's a certain hunger for a young, fresh face in politics, and that's exciting."

Despite her opposition to his politics, Wyenandt conceded that Vance's story proves, in a valuable way, that "anything can happen to anyone if they put their mind to it and they have the opportunities."

Wyenandt said she's interested to watch Vance's run and how voters' opinions on him shift.

"It'll be interesting. As many people that are happy that he was nominated, there are just as many people that weren't happy," she said. "I think people are going to start to learn who JD Vance really is outside of Ohio."

------

Count on us

The Dayton Daily News will be at today's JD Vance rally at Middletown High School covering the election event with a group of reporters and photographers. Turn to our website first for coverage of the event.