The White House believes Vance’s relatability, digital fluency, and personal story, he grew up in a poor family in rural Appalachia, was a US Marine and studied at Yale Law School, make him well-suited to connect with younger voters, the source said.
As one of the youngest vice presidents, he’s seen as uniquely positioned to speak to Gen Z on platforms they trust and in a tone they respond to, the source added.
“Vance would be a fantastic asset,” said Hayden Padgett, chairman of the Young Republican National Federation. “He’s not far in age from being one of us.”
TYLER BOWYER MASTERMINDED GRASSROOTS WORK
Most of those interviewed by Reuters also highlighted the importance of Turning Point’s chief operating officer, Tyler Bowyer, the mastermind behind much of the group’s grassroots work in turning out young voters.
“Charlie was the frontman, the fundraising machine, and the architect of Turning Point,” said Will Donahue, chairman of the College Republicans of America. “Tyler was the mastermind behind Turning Point Action’s success on the ground,” he said, referring to the group’s political arm.
That operation, backed by a US$100 million effort and thousands of campus chapters, will continue without Kirk, allies say, with Bowyer and others already planning to target key House races in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Arizona.
Young conservative leaders are already stepping into the void left by Kirk. They include Brilyn Hollyhand, chair of the RNC Youth Advisory Council, who is preparing to launch a college campus speaking tour, in coordination with Turning Point USA chapters.
