'He came from nothing': How AZ GOP reacted to JD Vance's VP nomination

MILWAUKEE — Arizona's delegation to the Republican National Convention warmly greeted the news that former President Donald Trump has selected Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate in the 2024 presidential election, even as Democrats warned of an "extreme MAGA ticket."

"I like the fact that he came from nothing," David Lara, an Arizona delegate, said of Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio.

Vance described a childhood consumed by poverty in his bestselling 2016 memoir , "Hillbilly Elegy." That resonated personally with Lara, whose parents legally immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico and "did pretty well for themselves" despite starting with little.

"That is the American dream. That is proof that if you really work hard, and you're dedicated, there are no limits," Lara said.

Vance was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022 after defeating former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan for an open seat in Ohio. He's distinguished himself for his "America First" wariness towards U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine, and he has echoed Trump's largely discredited attacks on election security.

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Vance openly criticized Trump in 2016 as pundits used his memoir to explain the former president's popularity with white, rural voters. He previously suggested Trump could be "America’s Hitler," called him noxious and compared him to an opioid. Since then he has become one of Trump's enthusiastic cheerleaders in Congress.

President Joe Biden's reelection campaign took a dig at Vance's history in a fundraising email after the announcement.

"How does a guy who used to say that Donald Trump and his policies were 'reprehensible' become Donald Trump’s running mate? Through years of being a rubber-stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme, MAGA agenda," the campaign wrote, prominently noting Vance's opposition to abortion rights.

State Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, mentioned Vance's prior view of Trump in an interview after the announcement. He gives Vance credit for eventually embracing the former president.

"He's learned quickly that President Trump is the right man for this time in America," Kern said.

Overall, Kern, another one of Arizona's delegates and one of the state's recently indicted fake electors , called Vance a "good pick."

"I think he's the future of the Republican Party," Kern said. "He's a strong fighter. He's pro-Constitution, pro-America First policies."

Alternate delegate Kathleen Winn, a candidate in Arizona's Tucson-area 6th Congressional District, met Vance while she was running for office in a previous election cycle. She described him as "down-to-earth" and "real" and sees him as someone who can carry on Trump's legacy.

"I see J.D. Vance as a wonderful leader for the next generation. ... So we can build this not just for four years, but for the next 40 years," she said.

"Even if you're born here, you're not always born into wealth, like Donald Trump. That's who J.D. represents: the average American."

U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, who was once said to be under consideration as Trump's running mate, quickly came out in support of the Trump-Vance ticket.

Vance has a "fearless commitment to America" and "will be a GREAT Vice President," Lake wrote on social media.

So did Blake Masters, a candidate running in Arizona's 8th Congressional District who, like Vance, has in the past been backed by the tech entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel.

"Vance is an inspired choice. Nobody better to complement and promote Trump's bold, forward-looking agenda to make America great again," Masters wrote in a statement to The Arizona Republic.

The Cincinnati Enquirer's Haley BeMiller contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'He came from nothing': How AZ GOP reacted to JD Vance's VP nomination