James D. Vance will be Donald Trump's running mate in the 2024 US presidential elections ​​​​(Credit: Gage Skidmore/CC-BY-SA-2.0/ Wikimedia Commons)

Former US president and Republican nominee Donald Trump has tapped Ohio Senator James David Vance as his running mate for the 2024 presidential elections. The announcement was made on the first day of the Republican National Convention, held in Milwaukee, Minnesota, from July 15 to July 18, 2024. If elected, Vance, 39, will be the nation's youngest vice president since Richard Nixon in 1952. He will also be the only US vice president to have served in the Marine Corps.

The youngest of two children, Vance was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio. His parents, Beverly Vance and Donald Bowman divorced when he was just a toddler. The young boy was mostly raised by his grandmother, Bonnie Vance.

Upon completing high school, Vance enlisted in the US Marine Corps. He served as a military journalist from 2003 to 2007. In late 2005, Vance was deployed to Iraq for six months, where US forces were fighting against militant groups like Al-Qaeda.

Vance is currently the senator for Ohio (Credit: Gage Skidmore/ CC BY-SA 2.0/ Wikimedia Commons)

After his military service, Vance obtained a dual degree in political science and philosophy from The Ohio State University and a law degree from Yale Law School. He worked for a law firm in Texas for a few years before moving to California. There, Vance formed a company to fund technology startups. In 2021, Vance decided to run for the Ohio Senate seat vacated by Republican Rob Portman. Despite being a political newcomer, he was elected to represent Ohio in 2022.

Vance's accomplishments include a bestselling book. His 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," was an instant blockbuster and even adapted into a film in 2020. The 39-year-old is married to Usha Chilukuri Vance, also a Yale Law graduate. The couple have three children: Ewan, 6, Vivek, 4, and Mirabel, 2.

Resources: Wikipedia.org, Vance.senate.gov, CNN.com, People.com