“Hillbilly Elegy” author J.D. Vance has announced that he considered, but ultimately decided against, launching a 2018 U.S. Senate bid.
In an interview with The Atlantic, Vance said that he “took a serious look” at seeking the 2018 Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, but says he decided against it for the sake of his family.
The Ohio State grad grew up in abject poverty in rural Appalachia, but spent several years working for venture capitalist Peter Thiel in Silicon Valley after attending Yale Law School. He shot to national prominence during the last election season after his book chronicling the experience became a runaway bestseller.
Vance moved to Columbus earlier this year to start a non-profit, and previously said he wants to tackle issues such as affordable housing.
Vance says he commissioned a poll to see how much of a shot he had in both the governor and Senate Republican primaries, despite his opposition to President Trump. In the 2016 election, Vance says he voted for Evan McMullin over Trump.
"I'm a conservative, but I think the party has really lost touch with working- and middle-class Americans," he told the Atlantic.
Currently, Cleveland-area businessman Mike Gibbons and state treasurer Josh Mandel are competing in the Republican primary, to face off against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown next fall.
