Radhakrishna, often called Krish, is Usha Vance’s father. He has made his mark as an aerospace engineer and lecturer at San Diego State University. Before retiring in 2020, Krish was the associate director at Collins Aerospace and had roles at United Technologies Aerospace Systems. Despite his professional success, Krish maintains a low online presence, with most mentions of him linked to his daughter’s political prominence. This discretion seems intentional.

Turning to Usha’s mother, Lakshmi Chilukuri, she too is highly accomplished in academia. As a teaching professor of molecular biology and the provost of UC San Diego’s Sixth College, she holds a prominent public role. In early 2025, Lakshmi gained attention when CBS News highlighted her advocacy for inclusivity at the university. In a letter, later removed from the college website, she encouraged students to fight racism both on campus and beyond. Lakshmi has not publicly commented on the issue, though her son-in-law, JD Vance, remarked, “I love my mother-in-law. If she doesn’t share my views on DEI, I suppose I’ll have to do what 99 percent of Americans do when confronted with a family member who doesn’t always agree with them: get over it.”

Although Lakshmi’s past efforts for diversity at UC San Diego suggest differing views from JD Vance, she’s unlikely to make a public statement. Just like Usha Vance remains silent amid rumors, Lakshmi and Radhakrishna keep their opinions private, especially concerning politics. Insiders have even noted to the Daily Mail that their family avoided political discussions even before JD Vance pursued a political career.

While Lakshmi Chilukuri’s past work to foster greater diversity at UC San Diego’s Sixth College certainly suggests her views are a little different from those of her son-in-law, don’t expect her to come out saying so. After all, just as Usha Vance has made a point of staying mum even in the wake of scandalous (and oftentimes ridiculous) rumors about her, both Lakshmi and Radhakrishna Chilukuri are known for keeping their thoughts to themselves. That’s especially true when it comes to politics. In fact, some may even remember insiders telling the Daily Mail that the family preferred not to talk about politics even before JD Vance set his sights on a government role.   

All that said, one thing that JD has shared about his in-laws on a number of occasions is the fact that he loves them, and that they have a major presence in his and his kids’ lives. While lambasting CBS News for asking questions about Lakshmi’s stance on DEI, the VP explained that instead of worrying about their differences in opinion, “I’ll choose instead to focus on her kindness and the fact that she’s an incredible mother and loving grandmother to the most important people in my life.”

JD has also credited Lakshmi for helping out with his and Usha’s three children, sharing in a 2020 interview with WCPT that she’d taken a sabbatical. Though he did receive a lot of backlash for lauding that decision and the fact that it was essentially unpaid labor, it does bear mentioning that it seemed to have been Lakshmi’s decision in the first place. Once again, though, the professor opted not to say anything about the matter. The Chilukuris certainly have a lot of proximity to power, but it’s pretty clear they prefer staying low-key, and that’s their prerogative.