Politics

JD Vance Fulfills Promise To His Mom To Celebrate Her 10th Year Of Sobriety

Published

5 days ago

April 7, 2025

Family members joined Vice President JD Vance at the White House this week for a personal milestone—his mother, Bev Vance, marked 10 years of sobriety.

“This year marks my mom’s 10th year of sobriety,” Vance wrote in a post on X. “And I’m grateful that we were able to celebrate in the White House with our family. Mom, I am so proud of you.”

Photos from the visit showed Vance and his mother sharing a laugh behind the White House podium, embracing during a family meeting, and posing with relatives outside the West Wing.

The moment carried added significance given the family’s past. Vance has openly discussed his mother’s struggles with addiction, which he chronicled in his 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy. At the Republican National Convention in July, Vance told his mother they would celebrate her decade of sobriety at the White House.

A nurse in Middletown, Ohio, Bev Vance began using prescription painkillers before eventually turning to heroin. Her addiction led to the loss of her nursing license, repeated rehab stays, and instability at home.

Bev’s recovery began in 2015, when she checked herself into a sober living facility. Since then, she’s remained clean, rebuilt her life in Ohio, and become a source of strength and pride in her son’s political journey.

She now lives in Middletown, where she continues to be active in the community.

Their shared story of hardship and recovery has shaped much of Vance’s political outlook. He has frequently spoken about the opioid epidemic, the breakdown of the American family, and the need for stronger cultural institutions—issues he ties back to his own upbringing.

In July 2024, during his speech at the Republican National Convention, Vance publicly celebrated his mother’s decade of sobriety.

“I’m proud to say that tonight, my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober. I love you, Mom,” Vance said, sparking a wave of cheers from the RNC crowd.

His mother, Bev Vance, stood up as the applause thundered on, visibly emotional as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. The standing ovation stretched on, and soon, the crowd broke into a chant: “JD’s mom! JD’s mom!”

Vance added, “You know, Mom, I was thinking. It will be 10 years officially in January of 2025, if President Trump is okay with that, let’s have the celebration in the White House.”

“Despite the closing factories and growing addiction in towns like mine, in my life, I had a guardian angel by my side,” Vance said. “She was an old woman who could barely walk, but she was tough as nails. I called her Mamaw, the name we hillbillies gave to our grandmothers.”

In his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, Vance recounts a pivotal moment from his youth: “Mom was released from jail on bond and prosecuted for a domestic violence misdemeanor. The case depended entirely on me. Yet during the hearing, when asked if Mom had ever threatened me, I said no… The reason was simple: My grandparents were paying a lot of money for the town’s highest-powered lawyer… ‘You don’t want your mom to go to jail, do you?’ he asked. So I lied…”