MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — He could go from Middletown to the White House. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance is said to be on the shortlist to be former President Donald Trump's running mate.

What You Need To Know

  • Republican Sen. J.D. Vance could be the next vice president if selected and Donald Trump wins the presidency in 2024

  • Vance grew up in Middletown and wrote a book about his childhood there that was turned into a movie, "Hillbilly Elergy"

  • Neighbors in and near Vance's childhood home are excited and proud someone from the area is going national 

When Charles Martin moved into his new place, something strange happened. 

“I kind of didn't believe it at first," Martin said. “They had someone come up to the porch and asked to take pictures of the house." 

The house they’re renting on McKinley Street in Middletown is getting national attention. 

“There's a lot of people that come up and some people, they get nervous, and they won't even say anything or stop. They just pull up in front, sit in the middle of the road and start taking pictures or videos, and then they'll drive off real quick," Martin said. 

Turns out he lives in Vance's childhood home.

“It's pretty cool, you know. I had no clue," Martin said. 

Before any White House goals, Vance wrote a book about growing up with his grandmother in the house on McKinley as his parents faced issues, such as drug abuse and job loss.

It was turned into a Netflix movie, "Hillbilly Elegy," but Jerry Dobbins doesn’t need a movie. 

“I’d been laid off in '82 and so, yeah, Middletown was kind of feeling the hurt," Dobbins said. 

He lived in Middletown back then, two doors down from Vance.

“I just knew him as a little boy playing around down there in his grandmother's house," Dobbins said.

Vance's grandmother died in 2005 right after Vance left Middletown for the Marines. He went on to Ohio State University, Yale Law School, started a business and later started campaigning for senator, right back in Middletown.

Neighbors said they’ve seen him back here sometimes shooting campaign commercials and talking with people.

“I think it's important that, you know, people are looking and hopefully people are taking a good long look at all of this and come to a decision that will be best," Dobbins said. 

With a little more than a year in office under his belt, Vance, the now Republican senator, could be on the campaign trail again on a much bigger stage after growing up in Middletown. 

“The fact that we live in the house as well as maybe the vice president, then, you know, that's pretty big,” Martin said.