At GOP convention, Washington delegates hail Trump’s choice of J.D. Vance as his running mate

MILWAUKEE – The Republican National Convention kicked off Monday with a roll call vote that officially made former President Donald Trump his party’s nominee for another term in office. But in a day heavy on nostalgia for Trump’s years in office, his choice of Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate turned delegates’ attention to the future.

Vance, an erstwhile Trump critic who famously called the former president “cultural heroin” in 2016, reinvented himself as a Trump acolyte in time to win a 2022 Senate race. At the convention, members of Washington’s RNC delegation expressed excitement that Vance, 39, could carry Trump’s brand of populist politics into a new generation.

“I appreciate President Trump’s choice of a younger candidate,” said Nino Kapitula, 35, a delegate from Richland. “We need to plan ahead. J.D. is relatable to the young families of America. I believe together they can build a future our families deserve. I am sure President Trump has a vision for his choice, and I trust they will rebuild this nation for prosperity for all.”

After surviving an assassination attempt at his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump arrived at the convention Monday night to deafening cheers in the arena, with a white bandage on the ear that was grazed by a bullet in a shooting that left one attendee dead and two others wounded.

Since entering the Senate in 2023, Vance has often taken on the role of translating Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda into more detailed policy ideas, including an isolationist approach to foreign policy and international trade.

“He espouses everything that the MAGA movement is about,” Rob Linebarger, a delegate and chair of the Spokane County GOP candidate committee, said of Vance. “To associate that with our own Spokane GOP vision, mission, strategy: Faith, family and freedom. That’s what this is all about.”

Jim Walsh, chairman of the Washington State Republican Party, said Vance has a “sterling resume” and should perform well in a vice-presidential debate. He added that Vance’s personal story, chronicled in his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” about growing up in an economically depressed community in Appalachia, parallels what has happened in Northwest timber towns like Walsh’s hometown of Aberdeen.

Vance, half the age of the 78-year-old Trump, would be the youngest vice president since Richard Nixon’s first term under President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953. John “Jock” Pring, an alternate delegate from Clarkston, said Vance “brings youth and energy to the campaign,” even if he isn’t well known.

Hossein Khorram of Clyde Hill, King County, said that means the vice-presidential nominee “could be the future of the GOP.”

“It’s consistent with what President Trump does,” said Khorram, who leads the state GOP’s fundraising for Trump. “He’s innovative. He thinks out of the box. I think he’s probably addressing the generational gap which politicians are suffering from, especially Republicans. So I think it’s a great, great choice, and J.D Vance has four years to really pick up the skills.”

Scott Hogg, a delegate from Camas, echoed that idea, saying that Trump tapping Vance means “we’ve got a mission that extends from four years to 12 years, and I like what that represents.”

When Vance was announced as Trump’s running mate, the arena that houses the Milwaukee Bucks roared with approval, even though some delegates were pulling for a different vice-presidential candidate. Victor Lombardi, a delegate and Moses Lake City Council member, said he favored Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, who spoke at the convention on Monday night. In the days leading up to the convention, Trump hinted that Vance was among a group of finalists that also included Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota.

Lisa Miller, an alternate delegate from King County, said Monday morning that in light of the assassination attempt, she hoped Trump would choose one of his sons as his running mate so that if he is killed, “we still get a Trump.”

The convention continues through Thursday, concluding with Trump accepting his party’s nomination for the presidential election in November.