Before U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) spoke to the Republican National Convention, delegates from Texas told NBC 5 they knew little about him. He's been a senator for less than two years and has few Texas connections.
Delegates said they were interested in learning more about the surprise choice and liked what little they knew about him.
Wednesday morning, the chair of the Texas GOP, Collin County's Abraham George, said the choice is another sign their party has changed to fit former President Trump's beliefs, goals, and priorities.
“There’s a huge shift in the Republican Party’s policies and principles because we’re looking at the entire America instead of how it used to be when corporations had more say," said George.
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Mark Gonzales, a delegate from Dallas, plans to pick up Vance's book "Hillbilly Elegy."
“We’re still having to Google and find out and read his book now. But he’s got a great story for sure," said Gonzales.
“I don’t know him that well, but what I’ve read about him, I really, really like him. He’s highly intellectual. He kind of comes across as a hillbilly country bumpkin, but he’s not. I promise. The guy is really, really sharp," said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who spoke to the delegation Wednesday.
Lone Star Politics
Covering politics throughout the state of Texas.
Many in the business community are concerned about Trump and Vance's support for more import taxes from other countries, known as tariffs. According to Miller, Texas's Port of Laredo has more than 20,000 trucks pass through a day, generating $29 billion a month in economic activity.
According to many economists, tariffs are a tool to boost manufacturing in the country but will likely lead to higher prices of goods. Miller argued that tariffs are a tool to balance keeping prices high enough for farmers to thrive but not so high that consumers can't buy the products.
"When you raise tariffs, they (other countries) come to the negotiating table to lower the tariffs on our goods going out. That’s the purpose. It’s not to stick it to them. It’s to get their attention," said Miller.
Chaplain Rich Stoglin from North Texas told NBC 5 he likes Vance's background in the military.
“We are now going to march forward with our leader, Donald Trump, and now, JD Vance, who’s a Marine. I served in the Marine Corps for 23 years as a Navy chaplain," said Stoglin.
After many Christian conservatives told NBC 5 they felt slighted with how the GOP platform came out, deemphasizing abortion restrictions and "traditional marriage," they supported Vance as Trump's running mate because two years ago, while he was running for senate, Vance supported a nationwide abortion ban with few exceptions. That's something Democrats will message to voters in the months leading up to the election.
