JD Vance’s Wife. All About Usha Chilukuri Vance and Her Marriage to the Vice President

Vice President JD Vance has been backed by his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, since long before he entered national politics. The two met in the early 2010s while studying at Yale Law School, where they reportedly worked together to organize a discussion group focused on “social decline in white America.” JD has described Usha as his “Yale spirit guide,” a nod to how strongly she influenced and supported him during those formative years.

They married in 2014, a year after graduating, and have since built a family of five. Though they keep much of their private life out of the spotlight, Usha has appeared alongside JD at major campaign events and official functions, including during the 2024 presidential race, when she joined him on the trail and helped with debate preparation.

In November 2025, online speculation flared after Usha was photographed without her wedding ring. A spokesperson brushed off the rumors, explaining that she sometimes forgets to wear it while managing life as a parent of three young children.

Here’s what to know about Usha Chilukuri Vance and her life with the vice president.

They met at Yale Law School

Usha and JD reportedly met in 2013 at Yale Law School. While there, they collaborated on a discussion group examining themes of social and economic decline in white America. Reporting has noted that the group’s reading list included academic work on working-class Appalachian communities—ideas that later echoed in JD’s 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

At Yale, Usha served as executive development editor of the Yale Law Journal and managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology. She also took part in the Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic, the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic, and the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project.

Before law school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University and completed an MPhil in early modern history at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, according to her LinkedIn profile.

They married in 2014

JD and Usha married in 2014, the year after finishing law school.

They have three children

The couple share three children: two sons, Ewan and Vivek, and a daughter, Mirabel. JD generally keeps their kids out of the public eye, though he has occasionally mentioned them in speeches and interviews. In February 2024, he marked Vivek’s fourth birthday by reading Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go! on the Senate floor, apologizing for missing the family celebration and telling his son he loved him.

She grew up in San Diego

Usha was born in California to Indian immigrant parents and grew up in the suburbs of San Diego. She attended Mt. Carmel High School in Rancho Peñasquitos.

She built a legal career as a litigator

Usha worked as a litigator at Munger, Tolles & Olson in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. She was with the firm from 2015 to 2017, then clerked at the Supreme Court until 2018. During her clerkship years, she worked with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., as well as Brett Kavanaugh and Amul Thapar.

She returned to Munger, Tolles & Olson in January 2019, focusing on complex civil litigation and appeals across areas including higher education, local government, entertainment, technology, and semiconductors.

After JD was announced as Donald Trump’s running mate, Usha resigned from the firm to prioritize family life. In her statement at the time, she expressed gratitude for her years at the organization and said she was stepping away to focus on caring for their children.

JD credits her with guiding him early on

JD has repeatedly highlighted Usha’s impact on his career. In a 2022 interview, he called her his “Yale spirit guide,” saying she helped him see opportunities he didn’t know to pursue. He has also described her as a steady, influential voice who pushed him to make better choices, especially during his early professional years.

She joined him at the Republican National Convention

After JD was named Trump’s vice presidential pick, Usha appeared with him at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July 2024, signaling her visible role in the campaign.

She gave her first solo interview in August 2024

As the 2024 election intensified, Usha sat for her first solo interview with Fox News in August. She spoke about adapting to life in the public eye and addressed JD’s past remark about the country being run by “childless cat ladies.” She framed it as a quip meant to underline a broader point: that parenting can be difficult in the U.S., and that policy often fails to make it easier.