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USHA Chilukuri Vance is the wife of the Republican vice presidential nominee for the 2024 US election.
Here’s everything we know about J.D. Vance’s partner, who could be the nation’s next Second Lady.
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Who is Usha Chilukuri Vance?
Usha Chilukuri Vance was born in San Diego, California on January 6, 1986.
She is the daughter of Indian immigrants Krish and Lakshmi Chilukuri.
Her mother is a professor in molecular biology, while her father is an aerospace engineer and university lecturer.
Academic Achievements
Usha earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University.
She went on to obtain a master’s degree in early modern history from Cambridge University.
Usha then returned to the States to attend Yale Law School, where she met her future husband.
Meeting J.D. Vance
The couple’s relationship began during their time at Yale Law School in the early 2010s.
They were paired as writing partners for their first major assignment and quickly developed a connection.
J.D. said he “fell hard” for his “Yale spirit guide” Usha in his 2016 book, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.
He writes: “As luck would have it, we were assigned as partners for our first major writing assignment, so we spent a lot of time during that first year getting to know each other.
“She seemed some sort of genetic anomaly, a combination of every positive quality a human being should have: bright, hard-working, tall, and beautiful… she had a great sense of humor and an extraordinarily direct way of speaking.”
He added: “She instinctively understood the questions I didn’t even know to ask, and she always encouraged me to seek opportunities that I didn’t know existed.”
Legal career
After graduating from Yale Law School in 2013, Usha embarked on a distinguished legal career.
She clerked for Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his tenure as an appeals judge, followed by a clerkship with Chief Justice John Roberts.
She then transitioned to a role as a litigator at Munger, Tolles & Olson law firm in San Francisco and Washington DC, focusing on complex civil litigation and appeals across various sectors.
In July 2024, shortly after J.D. was named as Donald Trump’s running mate, Usha decided to leave her position at the law firm.
Family life
Usha and J.D. married in 2014 in an interfaith ceremony in Eastern Kentucky, blending her Hindu background with his Christian upbringing.
The couple has since welcomed three children: Ewan (born 2017), Vivek (born 2020) and Mirabel (born 2021).
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Supportive wife
Throughout J.D.’s political career, Usha has been a supportive presence.
She stood by his side during his Ohio Senate campaign in 2021 and has accompanied him to various political functions.
Usha has also managed to maintain a relatively low profile, balancing her own legal career with family responsibilities.
Influence on J.D.
Her influence over her husband’s career has been significant.
In 2020, he told the Megyn Kelly Show podcast: “Usha definitely brings me back to Earth a little bit.
“And if I maybe get a little bit too cocky or a little too proud I just remind myself that she is way more accomplished than I am.
“People don’t realise just how brilliant she is,” he added, explaining that she can read and understand a 1,000-page book in a matter of hours.
He also described her as the “powerful female voice on my left shoulder”.
