Is J.D. Vance going to run for Senate?
After years of disheartening instances of “Republican politician-turned-author,” here we have a potential case of “author-turned-Republican politician,” and I gotta say… it doesn’t feel that much better! According to The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Senator Rob Portman won’t seek re-election in 2022, citing “partisan gridlock.” The Dispatch gives a list of potential Republican candidates for the seat, including the Ohio Republican Party Chair, a Congressman, and, uh… J.D. Vance!
There’s no sourcing for the prediction, but it’s not altogether surprising that a Marine, Yale Law School grad, best-selling author, Peter Thiel employee, and bootstraps connoisseur would have political aspirations.
To quote one Lit Hub editor’s dire prediction: Vance-Huckabee Sanders 2028?
Jessie Gaynor
Jessie Gaynor is a senior editor at Lit Hub whose writing has appeared in McSweeney's, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. Her debut novel, The Glow was published by Random House in 2023. You can buy it here.
