J.D. Vance's mother was in the audience Wednesday night when he formally accepted his nomination to be Donald Trump's running mate.
Vance spoke at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday in Milwaukee. The 39-year-old Ohio senator talked about his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, and Appalachian roots – two backdrops of his 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy."
"My fellow Americans… this moment is not about me, it’s about all of us, and who we’re fighting for," Vance said. "It’s about single moms like mine, who struggled with money and addiction but never gave up."
Vance told his mom he loved her. The cameras panned to her in the audience. The crowd broke out into chanting "J.D's MOM!"
Vance's mom, Beverly Aikins, was raised in Middletown. Her Kentucky-born parents settled in Ohio. She has one brother and one sister, and had two children, Vance and his sister, Lindsay.
Vance wrote about his mom's multi-year struggle with addiction in "Hillbilly Elegy." During his speech, he said his mom has been sober for 10 years.
According to Aikins' Facebook profile, she currently works in substance abuse recovery in Southwest Ohio.
Vance praised her sobriety at the convention. "And you know mom, I was thinking, it will be 10 years officially in January of 2025 and if President Trump's okay with it, let’s have the celebration in the White House," Vance said.