Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has a new nickname for Vice President JD Vance — and he delivered it during a campaign rally with a series of jokes about the vice president’s personality and Ohio State roots.
The exchange adds another chapter to the increasingly personal political feud between El-Sayed and Vance, who has been campaigning for Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.
Speaking to supporters, El-Sayed suggested that Republicans were repeatedly sending Vance to Michigan to take political shots at him.
“But, you know there’s always someone in that group that’s thirsty for attention,” El-Sayed said. “They keep sending that Ohio State Buckeye here.”
Then came the nickname.
“What’s his name? JV Dance?”
The joke turns Vance’s initials into “JV,” a common abbreviation for junior varsity, while changing his last name to “Dance.”
El-Sayed wasn’t finished.
“They keep sending JV here and asking JV to do the dirty work, but that’s the thing about it,” he continued.
“JV’s got zero charisma. They taught him that at Ohio State. When your school mascot’s like a nut, what do you expect? JV Dance!”
The Ohio State reference added a distinctly regional flavor to the attack. Vance attended Ohio State University, whose teams are known as the Buckeyes, while El-Sayed is campaigning in Michigan, where the rivalry with Ohio State is deeply rooted in college football culture.
The remark was more than a football joke. It was El-Sayed’s way of portraying the vice president as an ineffective political messenger for Donald Trump.
Vance has emerged as one of the administration’s most visible campaign surrogates, traveling to support Republican candidates and defend the president’s record.
El-Sayed’s comments came against the backdrop of their existing political dispute, which has included attacks directed at the Michigan Democrat during Republican campaign appearances.
The candidate’s response was to make Vance himself the subject of the joke rather than simply rebut the vice president’s political arguments.
The nickname also arrives during a competitive Senate campaign in Michigan, where El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers.
Both campaigns have sought to connect their opponents to national political figures and issues, including the economy, federal spending and the administration’s handling of the war with Iran.
El-Sayed has emphasized affordability and economic concerns in his campaign, while Vance has defended the administration’s agenda and campaigned for Republican candidates.
The latest remarks show how quickly that broader political disagreement can become personal.
Rather than offering an extended policy critique, El-Sayed used a short nickname and a familiar sports rivalry to make his point.
Whether the nickname catches on remains to be seen. But the candidate made clear that he intends to keep challenging Vance’s role as a Republican campaign messenger — and that he is willing to use humor to do it.
About the Author
Laugh Friends JD VANCE is a joke, and he is the Vice President, but looks as if he is in a wig—wam on his hairy face.
Once Democrats win the 2026 Election.
Depot Vance’s wife and sends Vance’s children to South Africa.