Appalachia

An author known for writing a memoir about life in Appalachia has launched a campaign for a US congressional seat, and is drawing a clear line between her own story and JD Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy'. 'I'm not JD Vance,' she says, positioning herself as offering a more authentic account of the region than the vice-president's best-selling memoir, which many in Appalachia criticised as stereotyping. The race is now being watched as part of the broader fight over who gets to speak for the region.