Senate Hopeful, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author J.D. Vance Stumps in St. Clairsville
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- J.D. Vance, candidate for U.S. Senate, stopped at Undo's West on Wednesday and spoke with several community members about the area's needs and his intentions should he become the Republican nominee for Sen. Rob Portman's seat in the May 3 primary election.
Portman, R-Ohio, has announced he will not seek re-election.
Vance is the author of the memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," which details the hardships and challenges of people in Appalachia. The importance of the Appalachian area continues to feature prominently in his campaign.
Vance said while he was initially critical of former president Donald Trump several years ago, he believes Trump has proven himself by delivering on his campaign promises. Moreover, he said the opposition to Trump's campaign and administration has revealed bias, overreach and corruption in establishment politics. He asserted that the FBI surveillance of the Trump campaign regarding suspicions of Trump's dealings with Russia was illegal. He also said holding people who allegedly participated in the Jan. 6 disturbance at the U.S. Capital without charge or trial is a violation of American liberties.
Vance said Trump drew attention to the importance of establishing manufacturing operations in the United States, rather than depending on foreign products that might not be adequate in terms of safety and quality.
Talk also turned to Vance's impression that there has been mismanagement on many fronts under the Democratic administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
"Afghanistan is about to become the world's biggest arms dealer because we put a ton of weapons there and didn't try to get them out before we left," Vance said, referring to the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was immediately seized by the Taliban.
Vance was also critical of a lack of leadership among Republicans. He said they seem more concerned with maintaining their own political offices than acting in the interests of those they represent.
"The leadership of our party very often is pretty broken," he said. "Absolutely spineless."
He emphasized the importance of electing leaders who are representative of their areas. He said there is nothing admirable about bipartisanship if politicians work together toward goals that do not help the people. He said the North American Free Trade Agreement occurred under Democrat Bill Clinton but was supported by Republicans and proved harmful to the middle class.
He added he would support legislation to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks, since members could use their office to act in favor of companies they have invested in.
Local veteran Bob Wallace, also a representative of the Belmont County Veterans Service Office, said he was impressed that Vance is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He asked what legislation Vance would focus on and what committees he would endeavor to sit on.
"I think from a first glance, his background, particularly as illustrated by his 'Hillbilly Elegy,' indicates that he has a great understanding of Appalachian Ohio," Wallace said.
Carol Baker of Barnesville, the mother of current and former military service people, described the difficulties her son faced in receiving help through Veterans Affairs.
Vance said while he favors limited government, the government should do its job in those areas under its purview, and removing incompetent beaurocrats is necessary. He added he would support continuing the Appalachian Regional Commission, but with reforms focused on the program's successful elements.
Other social issues were touched on, such as the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court might take up the Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion throughout the country and what it might mean if the decision was returned to the states.
"He's an inspiration for me. Ever since I heard about him and heard that he was running for Senate I was a supporter. I think he's going to do great things," Jesse Giffin of Cadiz said of Vance. He attended with his father, Paul. "He's not specifically Republican or Democrat, but he's against people who don't do what they say they're going to do."
St. Clairsville Mayor Kathryn Thalman spoke to Vance about the potential of the city and of Belmont County in light of the area's resources and of a recent announcement of an Intel chip manufacturing facility coming to the Columbus area.
Thalman also suggested the federal government could reform medical malpractice insurance with the goal of attracting retired doctors to return to the field on a part-time basis.
Afterward, Vance said some of the common issues and concerns among the people he has spoken to include inflation, the drug epidemic, Chinese interests purchasing American farmland, and chaos at the southern border including sex trafficking, drugs and gun running by cartels. He said many people have volunteered a valuable perspective about how to address ongoing problems.
As of Wednesday, other candidates in the GOP primary include: John Berman, Matt Dolan, Mike Gibbons, Robert Graham, Michael Leipold, Josh Mandel, Bernie Moreno, Zachary Musick, Neil Patel, Mark Pukita, John Reed, Mackenzie Thompson and Jane Timken. Four candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination, and five third-party candidates are in the running. Wednesday was the filing deadline for office-seekers in Ohio.