JD Vance's VP prospects could rise after he helped deliver Trump a big Ohio win

Bernie Moreno's Ohio GOP Senate primary victory reinforced Trump's influence and JD Vance's reputation as a loyal soldier to the former president.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, showed up at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in December armed with polling data and a risky proposition.

The largely unknown Bernie Moreno was rising in the Republican primary for Ohio’s other Senate seat, and Vance believed that Trump — whose endorsement elevated him in a crowded field two years earlier — could again be the kingmaker.

Trump was convinced and called Moreno on the spot to offer his backing, three sources familiar with the meeting said. Months later, when polls showed Moreno struggling to put the race away, Trump, again with Vance’s urging, flew in for a last-minute rally.

The gamble paid off for Trump last week, as Moreno won in a landslide that reinforced Trump’s influence in GOP primaries. And it could soon pay off for Vance, 39, who is among those mentioned as a potential running mate for Trump.

“JD has got an incredible future,” said Alex Bruesewitz, a Trump-aligned consultant. “What does that look like? I’m not quite sure at this moment. But when you look at conservatives who are younger and have their finger on the pulse of the MAGA movement, there aren’t many, and JD is certainly one of them.” 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/jd-vance-vp-prospects-trump-ohio-win-rcna145016

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