NEW: JD Vance Tapped For Major 2026 Role

Vice President J.D. Vance has been handed a historic opportunity to lead his party to success in the midterms, a traditionally tricky feat when the party in power often faces losses in its ranks.

In a first for a sitting vice president, Vance will serve as finance chair for the Republican National Committee, affording him proximity to some of the party’s most prolific donors eager to see the GOP come together and pass legislation under unanimous control of Washington, D.C. The move is unusual because the role is typically filled by a donor or operative with demonstrated fundraising prowess.

To be sure, Vance heads into the position with wind at his back: the Democratic National Committee is still working with its nexus of donor to resolve $20 million in debt left behind by the Harris-Walz campaign, a daunting task that drains enthusiasm at a time when the party’s approval rating is at an all-time low.

In a statement, President Trump said his number two “knows how to fight and win tough races” and said he would do a “fantastic job,” the New York Times reported.

“To fully enact the MAGA mandate and President Trump’s vision that voters demanded, we must keep and grow our Republican majorities in 2026,” Mr. Vance said in a statement, adding he has committed to “build the war chest we need to deliver those victories next November.”

Though his own possible future election lies years away, Vice President Vance sits in pole position among the 2028 contenders for president. Serving as RNC finance chair elevates him within a party infrastructure where candidates must glad-hand and strike backroom deals to secure institutional support to make it through a gauntlet of Republican primary elections.

In 2024, he proved himself to be a workhorse for the ticket, flying to headline fundraisers when Trump could not make it or covering parts of the country where lower dollar amounts made it unwise to devote the president’s time there.

Stepping down is Duke Buchan III, an investment banker who bet early on President Trump and served as ambassador to Spain during his first term in office. He was nominated this month to take the same position in Morocco.

Business leaders are already rushing to get on the good side of a mercurial president they’ve struggled to understand or predict. Titans of industry like Apple’s Tim Cook and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg each donated $1 million to the Republican’s inauguration, and Trump is continuing to aggressively raise funds for his future presidential library.

Last month, the 186-member RNC elected K.C. Crosbie as co-chair. The Trump ally ran with the president’s endorsement to replace his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.

“This position demands leadership, communication, and the ability to unify our diverse membership while supporting President Trump and his Administration’s bold initiative to ‘Make America Great Again,’” Crosbie said in a statement. “I am committed to fulfilling the responsibilities of RNC co-chair with the same dedication I have brought to the role of Treasurer.”