Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she is looking forward to this week’s Republican National Convention and offered praise for today’s announcement of a vice presidential pick, her Senate colleague J.D. Vance of Ohio.

“This week, Republicans — led by President Trump — will present our ideas to the nation that can jumpstart our economy, secure our border, and ensure America is strong and respected around the world,” Capito said Monday afternoon in a statement shared on social media.

“President Trump’s announcement that J.D. Vance will serve as his running mate is a commitment to those conservative principles. During my time serving alongside him in the U.S. Senate, I have seen his commitment to the ideas that those in Appalachia care about most. I am confident that J.D. will help us win in November and govern for the next four years.”

Vance is a relative newcomer to the Senate, serving since 2023. Before that, he came to prominence through the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which described his upbringing near Cincinnati and his family’s Appalachian values. Vance served in the Marine Corps and earned his law degree from Yale.

Vance was once a Trump critic, but earned Trump’s endorsement in the 2022 Ohio Senate primary election.

In more recent interviews, Vance has said he changed his mind.

“But, look, my view on Donald Trump — I have been very clear on this — is, look, I was wrong about him. I didn’t think he was going to be a good president,” he said on CNN earlier this year, “and I was very, very proud to be proven wrong. It’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to get him elected.”

Today, Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator JD Vance of the Great State of Ohio.”

In the Senate, Vance has been active with rail safety issues following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Vance has been a critic of U.S. aid to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian incursion.

State Treasurer Riley Moore, who is Senator Capito’s nephew and a Republican candidate for Congress, posted his own support for Vance on social media.