Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio speaks Wednesday during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
AP
MILWAUKEE — Suburban Republicans attending the party’s national convention offered rave reviews Thursday for Ohio Sen J.D. Vance’s speech accepting the nomination for vice president.
“I’m very excited about him,” said Ken Jochum, a delegate from Wheeling Township. “I think he represents a new generation. He’s got the skill set.”
“Very popular. Very positive. Very hopeful,” added Karen Tirio, chair of McHenry County GOPAC. “He’s no Pence, thank God.
“(He) was once a non-Trumper, but he saw the light.”
Delegate Susan Sweeney, who chairs the Republican Women of Park Ridge, said Vance was genuine and she was touched by how he opened up about his personal life and his “mamaw,” his term for his grandmother.
“Being 39 years old, he does bring a new generation in and he does have a fresh face to many. He has brought hope,” Sweeney said.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio addressed delegates Wednesday during the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
AP
Bernie Moreno, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Vance’s home state, said at Thursday’s Illinois delegation breakfast that Vance’s veneer matches his character.
“He’s just a genuine human being. He’s exactly ‘What you see is what you get,’” he said. “When you talk about putting America First, that’s not a slogan for him. This is what this man believes in his heart and soul, because he has lived it.”
Illinois delegates say they were impressed by J.D. Vance’s performance during his acceptance speech Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Steve Zalusky/szalusky@dailyherald.com
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, a Republican from Peoria, said Vance’s selection as the vice presidential nominee is partly predicated on former President Donald Trump wanting his “MAGA” legacy to continue.
“(Trump) knows he brings a working man’s narrative that I think will help in the Midwestern states And I think the youth factor is important there,” he said.
But, he added, “To be fair, if Trump had his choice, he wouldn’t pick a vice president.”