Religion Usha Vance

Usha Vance, whose full name is Usha Bala Chilukuri Vance, has been the Second Lady of the United States since her husband JD Vance was elected vice president. Born on January 6, 1986, in San Diego County, California, she is the daughter of Indian immigrants of Telugu origin from Andhra Pradesh. A brilliant lawyer, educated at some of the country’s most prestigious universities, she went on to pursue a career in law. Married to JD Vance since 2014, she is the mother of three children. While her husband is regularly at the center of media attention, Usha Vance, for her part, has always preferred a degree of discretion, including when it comes to her religion, a subject that nevertheless attracts significant interest, especially since the couple’s arrival at the White House.

A Hindu from a practicing Indian family

Usha Vance grew up in the Hindu faith. Her parents, Lakshmi and Radhakrishna “Krish” Chilukuri, are Hindus and passed this religious tradition on to their daughter from childhood. She herself confirmed this publicly in an interview with Fox News: “I grew up in a religious household. My parents are Hindu, and that is one of the things that made them such good parents, that makes them really very good people.”

There is, however, a slight nuance in the way the two spouses describe this family environment. Usha speaks of a “religious” childhood home, while JD Vance, for his part, has said: “I think it’s fair to say that she grew up in a Hindu family, but not a particularly religious family one way or the other.” These two statements do not necessarily contradict each other, but they reflect a somewhat different perception of the degree of religious practice within the family.

To date, Usha Vance is Hindu. She has never publicly announced a conversion to another religion and chose not to answer journalists’ questions about her current practice in the period leading up to the election. Her Hindu identity, tied to her Indian roots, therefore remains a recognized part of her public image.

An interfaith household between Hinduism and Catholicism

To understand Usha Vance’s religious situation, it is also necessary to take into account the particular dynamic of her marriage to JD Vance. He grew up without a clearly defined religious affiliation, described himself as an atheist in his twenties, then converted to Catholicism in 2019 — five years after their marriage, which was celebrated in 2014 in an interfaith ceremony.

The couple is raising their three children in the Christian faith, while also exposing them to their mother’s Hindu traditions. Usha Vance discussed this interfaith reality during a conversation on Meghan McCain’s podcast, explaining that religion plays an important role in their family life, even though the two spouses do not experience it in the same way. JD Vance has also said that his wife accompanies him to church most Sundays, without that implying any adherence on her part to the Catholic faith.

In November 2025, during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, JD Vance publicly stated that he hoped Usha would convert to Christianity. He later clarified his thoughts on the social network X: “She is not a Christian and has no plans to convert, but like many people in an interfaith marriage, or any interfaith relationship, I hope she can one day see things as I do.” This clarification does not suggest that a conversion is underway: on the contrary, it confirms that Usha Vance remains Hindu and does not plan to change religions.