Vance, a Middletown native, was sporting a red “Cincy” T-shirt and a ballcap, as seen in a photo posted to Facebook by Phill Adams, the director of development at Jungle Jim’s. Adams and the wife of Jungle Jim’s owner Jim Bonaminio, Joani, are in the photo, with Vance in the center.
Adams said Vance was with his wife, Usha, and their children.
“We’ve had a large number of politicians from all parties visit or use our event center over the years. Fun to see the frenzy they bring to the store when they visit. Everyone was able to see him shopping like everyone else,” Adams said in the post.
Vance and his family have a home in East Walnut Hills.
The candidate appeared Monday in Middletown for a rally at Middletown High School. It was his first solo political rally since former President Donald Trump announced him as his vice presidential running mate on July 15.
During his speech, Vance talked about his local roots and how his upbringing led him to graduate from MHS in 2003, serve in the U.S. Marines during the Iraq War and graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School.
“I will never forget where I came from,” said Vance, who two years ago prior had announced he was running for U.S. Senate during a rally at Phillips Tube Works in Middletown. “It’s good to be here. This town has been so good to me.”
Read more of his Middletown speech here.
Writer Rick McCrabb contributed to this report.
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