Scoop: Vice President-elect JD Vance's inner circle
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JD Vance joined former President Trump and Melania Trump at the ticket's victory party in West Palm Beach, Fla., early Wednesday. Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters
Vice President-elect JD Vance will head into the White House with a tight-knit circle of loyalists who were with him during the campaign and, in many cases, came to the U.S. Senate with him from Ohio.
Why it matters: Like Vance, most of his advisers and staff are from the GOP's populist-conservative wing. Since President-elect Trump can't run again, Vance will be viewed from Day 1 as a likely 2028 candidate.
Here's a first look at Vance's likely vice-presidential team, obtained by Axios from a source close to him:
Expected inside players:
- Jacob Reses: Reses, a longtime personal friend of Vance, has been his Senate chief of staff since his inauguration last year. A longtime player among movement conservatives, Reses is a policy wonk who previously worked for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). Reses spent the past four months constantly on the road with Vance as his traveling chief of staff on the Trump campaign.
- James Braid: Braid, Vance's deputy chief of staff in the Senate, is the most influential policy mind in Vance's operation. A longtime veteran of the U.S. House and Senate, Braid is responsible for turning Vance's populist policy views into legislation.
- Bryan Gray: Gray — the first hire on Vance's Senate campaign, where he was political director — is one of Vance's closest political advisers. After Vance won his Senate race, Gray joined his office as Ohio state director. Earlier this year he became campaign manager on the successful U.S. Senate campaign of another close Vance ally — now-Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio).
- Will Martin, Taylor Van Kirk and Luke Schroeder: Vance's three longtime communication gurus are all expected to join him at the White House. All three have worked closely with him since his Senate campaign, then were his senior communications staffers on the Trump campaign.
Key outside players:
- Andy Surabian: Surabian, perhaps Vance's closest political adviser and strategist, is a veteran of all three Trump campaigns. Surabian, who's well-connected in corporate and political circles, was a senior adviser on Vance's Senate run and oversaw his V.P. operation on the Trump campaign. He is credited with building the bridge to Trumpworld that helped lead to Vance being selected as V.P. Surabian is also a close political adviser to Don Jr., and played a senior role on multiple successful senate campaigns this cycle.
- Jai Chabria: Chabria — a partner at the PR and lobbying firm MAD Global Strategy — is Vance's longest-serving political adviser, and was the general consultant on his Senate campaign. A longtime friend of Vance's, Chabria is Vance's Ohio muscle: He spent over a decade as chief political enforcer for former Gov. John Kasich. This fall, Chabria ran Patrick Morrisey's successful campaign for West Virginia governor.
- Luke Thompson: Another longtime friend of Vance, Thompson ran the main super PAC that backed Vance in his GOP Senate primary. Thompson, an expert in building organizations, has deep ties to several major GOP techworld donors. He is an NRSC alumnus and has held senior roles in dozens of statewide races nationwide.
- Arthur Schwartz: Schwartz, a top adviser to Don Jr., has built a close relationship with Vance. Schwartz is known for his deep Rolodex of GOP power players, his crisis expertise and his aggressive presence on social media.
