Inside Usha Vance's Washington
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Usha Vance speaking onstage at the Republican National Convention in July. Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Usha Vance will move into the VP residence next week alongside husband JD and their three kids — the first Second Family with small children since the Gores in the '90s.
What we're hearing: The incoming SLOTUS has largely laid low around Washington so far, an indicator that her next four years may focus on family first.
State of play: Vance has spent the last few years juggling trial-lawyer life at Munger, Tolles & Olson with parenting three kids under age 8. (She resigned when JD got the VP nom.)
- Rather than doing the circuit at Cafe Milano or Le Dip, her Washington routine has been compact and close to home — not surprising for a busy working parent and former U.S. Supreme Court clerk who's long prioritized privacy.
"They've returned to normalcy in their home life [after JD joined the ticket] in just kind of a remarkable amount of time," Army secretary nominee and close Vance friend Dan Driscoll told PBS. "Usha is an incredibly balancing and grounded force in wanting her kids to continue to live and to be able to live in a world where they can be … normal little kids."
- Right after the election, Vance reached out to Naval Observatory residence staff to inquire about childproofing the home.
Zoom in: In her two years here, incoming Second Lady sightings have mostly been around Crib Vance in Del Ray.
- She's made appearances and volunteered at the Alexandria private school that at least one of her children attends, says a fellow parent at the school who asked to remain anonymous out of concerns for their children's privacy, adding that Vance arrived at a recent holiday event nearly an hour early and chatted with many of the other parents.
- She was meticulous about researching schools and had a bevy of questions before choosing, says the parent, who advised her.
- But it seems that many parents didn't even know the Vances were at the school until recently, when the Secret Service started showing up at carpool, says the parent.
The Vances have made some appearances in Del Ray, manning a lemonade stand; walking their German shepherd, Atlas; and stopping in at local storefronts, residents tell Axios.
- Vance regularly hits up Gustave Boulangerie, owner Karim Mashmour tells Axios.
- Her order: An iced mocha, no matter the temps. Sometimes she'll grab a veggie sandwich and pop open her laptop, says Mashmour, who calls her a "genuine person" and "easy to talk to." Mashmour says he's never seen her hang in the beer garden area, a popular social spot for locals with young kids.
- She walks the few short blocks to Gustave — with the motorcade following her.
- "It's a really short distance, so that's really funny," says Mashmour.
The intrigue: When the Secret Service first set up barricades surrounding the Vances' street, Vance went on an "apology tour" and left neighbors handwritten cards and bags of chocolates, says Lee Ness, who lives several houses down from the Vances.
- "Everyone was very impressed," says Ness. "It was a nice gesture."
What they're saying: Del Ray is coveted for its small-town feel and tight-knit community, with gotta-go events like the Halloween parade and Christmas-tree lighting.
- But the couple haven't been spotted at any such gatherings and have largely kept to themselves, several residents tell Axios.
- "I don't think anybody on the block has really met them socially," says Ness. "Of course, [JD] is profoundly unpopular in Del Ray, and that may well color what they do."
Vance is very private, says April Ponnuru, a fixture in the conservative public affairs world who has known the Vances for several years, calling her "an incredibly bright, hard-working, nose-to-the-grindstone kind of person."
A spokesperson for Vance declined to comment.
Zoom out: The past few administrations have differed in their approaches to Beltway life: While the Biden/Obama/Harris-Emhoff contingent are often seen around town, President-elect Trump and the Pences largely refrained from venturing out during his first go-round.
What we're watching: Whether Vance suddenly starts stepping out more come Jan. 20 — and whether the duo keeps their Del Ray pad once they hop the river to Northwest D.C.