Usha Chilukuri Vance, wife of JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, is garnering attention in India due to her Indian heritage and influential family background. Her family originally hails from Vadduru in Andhra Pradesh, later moving to Chennai. A family member was reportedly an RSS worker who was jailed during India’s Emergency period (1975–77), showcasing the family’s strong societal and political engagement.
Usha, daughter of Indian immigrants and a practicing Hindu, could become the “second lady” of the United States if Donald Trump wins the upcoming election. A Yale and Cambridge graduate, she has a notable legal background, having clerked for U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts and worked at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.
Usha’s 96-year-old great-aunt, Shanthamma Chilukuri, still actively teaches physics in India, and her family members, including her father and grandfather, were associated with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai. An IIT student award honors her grandfather Ramasastry Chilukuri, highlighting the family’s dedication to academia and public service.
This deep-rooted legacy of scholarship, social commitment, and political resilience resonates as Usha supports her husband’s political aspirations, reflecting a modern connection to India’s vibrant history.