Mike Pence
Encyclopedia
Michael Richard "Mike" Pence (born June 7, 1959) is the U.S. Representative
for Indiana's
, and previously the , serving since 2001. The 6th district covers much of Eastern Indiana. He is a member of the Republican Party
.
Pence is the former Chairman
of the House Republican Conference. After the 2010 election Pence said he would not run for re-election to Chairman of the Conference. On May 5, 2011, Pence officially announced that he will be seeking the Republican nomination for Governor of Indiana in 2012
. Pence's announcement was anticipated by his resignation of his leading position in the GOP caucus in the House. He is considered the favorite for the Republican nomination.
, graduated from Hanover College in 1981, and earned his J.D. from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 1986. While at Hanover, Pence joined the Phi Gamma Delta
fraternity, serving as his chapter's president.
, a group of conservative House Republicans. He was succeeded in the 110th Congress by Rep. Jeb Hensarling
(R
-TX
). He has stated his support of Israel and its right to attack facilities in Iran to prevent them from developing nuclear weapons, has defended the actions of Israel in its use of deadly force in enforcing the blockade of Gaza and has referred to Israel as "America's most cherished ally" Pence claims to have been influenced by Traditionalist Russell Kirk
and holds some views that are in line with Traditionalist Conservatism
and Burkean philosophy.
indicating a "anti-gay stance." Pence co-sponsored a bill amending Constitution to define traditional marriage and voted Yes on defining marriage between a man and woman. Pence also voted against a bill protecting people from work place related sexual orientation discrimination.
In May 2007 Pence publicly opposed expanding federal hate crimes protection to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Insisting that the protection bill is "This legislation is unnecessary and bad public policy... the hate crimes bill is broad enough to encompass legitimate beliefs, and protecting the rights of freedom of speech and religion must be paramount in our minds." Pence also received a 22% rating from the NAACP indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance.
reform. He voted against the $139.7 billion Transportation-Treasury spending bill in June 2006, and in favor of a series of amendments proposed that same month by Jeff Flake
that would strip other members’ earmarks from the federal budget. Pence, however, has in the past secured several of his own earmark projects. Pence earmarked $500,000 for the “Transit Acquisition and Intermodal Facility Project” in his state, as well as $250,000 for construction of a park in Portland, Indiana. Pence also secured earmarks for inclusion in a Labor-Health and Human Services 2007FY bill. This included $200,000 for both Ball State University’s Center for School Innovation in Muncie, Ind. and to the Madison County Community Health Center in Anderson Ind. Pence also secured $100,000 for Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus, Ind. When confronted with this, a spokesman for Pence’s confirmed the projects, stating, “Mr. Pence stands by his earmark requests."
show Hardball
, Pence was asked his views on evolution to which he replied "Um... I, do I believe in evolution? Ah, I, I, ah... I embrace the, uh -- the, uh -- the view, ah, that God created the heavens and the earth, the seas and all that's in them..."
immigration reform
" consisting of increased border security, followed by strict enforcement of laws against hiring illegal aliens, and a guest worker program. This guest worker program requires potential participants to apply from their home country to government-approved job placement agencies that match workers with employers who cannot find Americans for the job. The plan has received support from conservative leaders such as Dick Armey
. Pat Buchanan
described this as "stealth amnesty," claiming that it is merely a "one week vacation" for illegal immigrants to return to their home country to apply for jobs under the program. Others (Phyllis Schlafly
and Tom Tancredo
) have criticized Pence's plan.
s in 2001 and 2003, and advocates making them permanent, as well as the Partial Birth Abortion Ban and "Operation Offset" to counterbalance Hurricane Katrina
spending. He has been a strong opponent of federal funding for elective abortions in accordance with the Hyde Amendment
. He has voted against federal subsidies for embryonic stem cell research, and has cosponsored pork barrel
spending reform. He was influential in the RSC's Top Ten Agenda for 2006.
struck the Louisiana
coast and in the midst of the clean up Pence called a press conference announcing $24 billion in spending cuts, saying "... [W]e must not let Katrina break the bank.
. During an April 2007 visit to Baghdad
, Pence and John McCain
visited Shorja
market, the site of a deadly attack in February, 2007, that claimed the lives of 61 people. During the visit, Pence and Senator John McCain were accompanied by General David Petraeus. Pence and McCain described the visit as evidence that the security situation in Iraqi markets have improved. Pence said he was deeply moved by his ability to "mix and mingle unfettered among ordinary Iraqis" and to have tea and haggle over the price of a rug. The Shorja market, he said, was "like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summer time." The visit was criticized by the New York Times as giving a false indication of how secure the area was due to the extremely heavy security forces McCain brought with him. The visit to the market took place under large security including helicopters overhead.
As an alternative, Pence has said that the “enemy combatants” should be tried in a military tribunal.
. Pence believes that the Fairness Doctrine will "censor the airwaves of American talk radio and American Christian radio".
. Many considered Pence's political future dead at that point.
In 2000, however, Pence was elected after six-year incumbent David McIntosh
opted to run for governor of Indiana
. His first term in Congress began in January 2001. The 6th District comprises all or portions of 19 counties in eastern Indiana, and was numbered as the 2nd District during his first term in Congress. He has been reelected four more times by comfortable margins. In the 2006 House elections, he defeated Democrat
Barry Welsh. He was listed as one of the top ten legislators by Esquire
magazine in 2008.
2010
Pence had been encouraged by William Kristol
of The Weekly Standard
, among others, to run in 2010
against incumbent Democratic Senator Evan Bayh
. Pence led Senator Bayh by a 3 point margin according to Rasmussen polling done on January 21st and 24th, 2010. On January 26th, 2010, in an open letter to friends and supporters through Facebook, Pence announced his decision not to run for the Senate; he cited his role in the Republican leadership and the belief that Republicans would win back the House in 2010 as his reasons for staying in the House of Representatives.
On November 8th, 2006, Mike Pence announced his candidacy for leader of the Republican Party (minority leader
) in the United States House of Representatives
.
Pence's release announcing his run for minority leader focused on a "return to the values" of the 1994 Republican Revolution
. He said regarding the Contract with America
: "Our opponents will say that the American people rejected our Republican vision. I say the American people didn't quit on the Contract with America, we did. And in so doing, we severed the bonds of trust between our party and millions of our most ardent supporters..."
Some political analysts, such as Robert D. Novak, say Pence benefited in the long run from the endorsement of numerous organizations and individuals aligned with the party's base. Some of those include Human Events
, Laura Ingraham
, and Rush Limbaugh
. Ingraham stated on her show, "If there is a God in heaven, (Pence) will be the next House minority leader." Pence also received support from the Club for Growth
, The Wall Street Journal
and David Keene
from the American Conservative Union
.
On November 17th, Pence lost to Representative John Boehner
of Ohio
by a vote of 168-27-1 (the one vote went to Representative Joe Barton
of Texas).
2008
After defeating Rev. Barry Welsh in the 2008 House election
, Pence was elected by his GOP colleagues to become the Republican Conference Chairman
, the third-highest-ranking Republican leadership position. He ran unopposed and was elected unanimously. He is the first Representative from Indiana to hold a House leadership position since 1981.
political blog listed him as one of a dozen or so possible Republican candidates for President in 2012
. That month, the Des Moines Register
reported that he planned to visit the Cedar Rapids, Iowa
area in late July. Iowa has the first caucus
in early 2012, before the primaries in other states. He also scheduled a visit to New Hampshire
, home of the first presidential primary, in 2010. In September 2010, Pence was the top choice for President in a straw poll conducted by the Value Voters Summit.
Pence was expected to announce whether he would run for president or governor in the 2012 elections
on January 27, 2011. Sources indicated that he had ruled out a presidential campaign, but was still considering a run for governor.
. Pence is a declared Christian and attends Community Church of Greenwood in Greenwood, Indiana
. The Pence family lives in Arlington, Virginia while Congress is in session.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for Indiana's
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and previously the , serving since 2001. The 6th district covers much of Eastern Indiana. He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Pence is the former Chairman
Republican Conference Chairman of the United States House of Representatives
This is a list of Republican Conference Chairmen of the United States House of Representatives.-References:...
of the House Republican Conference. After the 2010 election Pence said he would not run for re-election to Chairman of the Conference. On May 5, 2011, Pence officially announced that he will be seeking the Republican nomination for Governor of Indiana in 2012
Indiana gubernatorial election, 2012
The 2012 Indiana gubernatorial election will take place on November 6, 2012.Incumbent governor Mitch Daniels is term-limited.-Candidates:* Mike Pence, U.S...
. Pence's announcement was anticipated by his resignation of his leading position in the GOP caucus in the House. He is considered the favorite for the Republican nomination.
Early life, education and career
Mike Pence was born in Columbus, Indiana. He attended Columbus North High SchoolColumbus North High School
Columbus North High School is one of the public high schools located in Columbus, Indiana. It is part of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation . Columbus North High School was previously known as Columbus High School...
, graduated from Hanover College in 1981, and earned his J.D. from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 1986. While at Hanover, Pence joined the Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
fraternity, serving as his chapter's president.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Middle East and South AsiaUnited States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South AsiaThe U.S. House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia is a subcommittee within the House Foreign Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:The subcommittee is one of five with what the committees calls "regional jurisdiction" over a specific area of the globe...
(Vice Chair)
- Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia
- Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States House Committee on the JudiciaryThe U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
- Subcommittee on the Constitution (Vice Chair)
- Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the InternetUnited States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the InternetThe House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet is a subcommittee within the House Judiciary Committee. It was established in 2011.-Jurisdiction:...
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Internet Caucus
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Sportsmen's Caucus
- Tea Party CaucusTea Party CaucusThe Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...
Political positions
He is the former chairman of the Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
, a group of conservative House Republicans. He was succeeded in the 110th Congress by Rep. Jeb Hensarling
Jeb Hensarling
Jeb Hensarling has been the Republican congressman representing Texas' 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2003.-Early life:...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-TX
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
). He has stated his support of Israel and its right to attack facilities in Iran to prevent them from developing nuclear weapons, has defended the actions of Israel in its use of deadly force in enforcing the blockade of Gaza and has referred to Israel as "America's most cherished ally" Pence claims to have been influenced by Traditionalist Russell Kirk
Russell Kirk
Russell Kirk was an American political theorist, moralist, historian, social critic, literary critic, and fiction author known for his influence on 20th century American conservatism. His 1953 book, The Conservative Mind, gave shape to the amorphous post–World War II conservative movement...
and holds some views that are in line with Traditionalist Conservatism
Traditionalist Conservatism
Traditionalist conservatism, also known as "traditional conservatism," "traditionalism," "Burkean conservatism", "classical conservatism" and , "Toryism", describes a political philosophy emphasizing the need for the principles of natural law and transcendent moral order, tradition, hierarchy and...
and Burkean philosophy.
Views on Homosexuality
Pence has received a 0% rating by the Human Rights CampaignHuman Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
indicating a "anti-gay stance." Pence co-sponsored a bill amending Constitution to define traditional marriage and voted Yes on defining marriage between a man and woman. Pence also voted against a bill protecting people from work place related sexual orientation discrimination.
Civil liberties
Pence received a Rated 7% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record.In May 2007 Pence publicly opposed expanding federal hate crimes protection to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Insisting that the protection bill is "This legislation is unnecessary and bad public policy... the hate crimes bill is broad enough to encompass legitimate beliefs, and protecting the rights of freedom of speech and religion must be paramount in our minds." Pence also received a 22% rating from the NAACP indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance.
Iraq War
Pence voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that began the Iraq War, as well as the troop surge.Earmarks
Pence was a supporter of earmarkEarmark (politics)
In United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
reform. He voted against the $139.7 billion Transportation-Treasury spending bill in June 2006, and in favor of a series of amendments proposed that same month by Jeff Flake
Jeff Flake
Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Flake is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was featured in the documentary series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories....
that would strip other members’ earmarks from the federal budget. Pence, however, has in the past secured several of his own earmark projects. Pence earmarked $500,000 for the “Transit Acquisition and Intermodal Facility Project” in his state, as well as $250,000 for construction of a park in Portland, Indiana. Pence also secured earmarks for inclusion in a Labor-Health and Human Services 2007FY bill. This included $200,000 for both Ball State University’s Center for School Innovation in Muncie, Ind. and to the Madison County Community Health Center in Anderson Ind. Pence also secured $100,000 for Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus, Ind. When confronted with this, a spokesman for Pence’s confirmed the projects, stating, “Mr. Pence stands by his earmark requests."
Evolution
During a 2009 appearance on Chris Matthews'Chris Matthews
Christopher John "Chris" Matthews is an American news anchor and political commentator, known for his nightly hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, which is televised on the American cable television channel MSNBC...
show Hardball
Hardball
Hardball or hard ball may refer to:in computers* Hardball, a computer game made for the Palm OS and similar to Breakout* Hardball! , a series of computer games about baseballin film...
, Pence was asked his views on evolution to which he replied "Um... I, do I believe in evolution? Ah, I, I, ah... I embrace the, uh -- the, uh -- the view, ah, that God created the heavens and the earth, the seas and all that's in them..."
Immigration reform
In June 2006, Pence unveiled a plan he describes as "no amnestyAmnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
immigration reform
Immigration reform
Immigration reform is a term used in political discussion regarding changes to current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, "reform " means to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses....
" consisting of increased border security, followed by strict enforcement of laws against hiring illegal aliens, and a guest worker program. This guest worker program requires potential participants to apply from their home country to government-approved job placement agencies that match workers with employers who cannot find Americans for the job. The plan has received support from conservative leaders such as Dick Armey
Dick Armey
Richard Keith "Dick" Armey is a former U.S. Representative from Texas's and House Majority Leader . He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of the 1990s, in which Republicans were elected to majorities of both houses of Congress for the first time in four decades. Armey was...
. Pat Buchanan
Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
described this as "stealth amnesty," claiming that it is merely a "one week vacation" for illegal immigrants to return to their home country to apply for jobs under the program. Others (Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis McAlpin Stewart Schlafly is a Constitutional lawyer and an American politically conservative activist and author who founded the Eagle Forum. She is known for her opposition to modern feminism ideas and for her campaign against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment...
and Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...
) have criticized Pence's plan.
Taxes
Pence voted for the tax cutTax cut
A tax cut is a reduction in taxes. The immediate effects of a tax cut are a decrease in the real income of the government and an increase in the real income of those whose tax rate has been lowered. Due to the perceived benefit in growing real incomes among tax payers politicians have sought to...
s in 2001 and 2003, and advocates making them permanent, as well as the Partial Birth Abortion Ban and "Operation Offset" to counterbalance Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
spending. He has been a strong opponent of federal funding for elective abortions in accordance with the Hyde Amendment
Hyde Amendment
In U.S. politics, the Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision barring the use of certain federal funds to pay for abortions. It is not a permanent law, rather it is a "rider" that, in various forms, has been routinely attached to annual appropriations bills since 1976...
. He has voted against federal subsidies for embryonic stem cell research, and has cosponsored pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
spending reform. He was influential in the RSC's Top Ten Agenda for 2006.
Hurricane Katrina
In 2005 after Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
coast and in the midst of the clean up Pence called a press conference announcing $24 billion in spending cuts, saying "... [W]e must not let Katrina break the bank.
Visit to Iraq
During the Iraq War, he opposed setting a public withdrawal date from IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. During an April 2007 visit to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Pence and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
visited Shorja
Shorja
Shorja or Al-Shorja is a marketplace in Baghdad, Iraq. Located near Bab Al Sharqi market, Shorja is Baghdad's largest and oldest market.-During the U.S. occupation:...
market, the site of a deadly attack in February, 2007, that claimed the lives of 61 people. During the visit, Pence and Senator John McCain were accompanied by General David Petraeus. Pence and McCain described the visit as evidence that the security situation in Iraqi markets have improved. Pence said he was deeply moved by his ability to "mix and mingle unfettered among ordinary Iraqis" and to have tea and haggle over the price of a rug. The Shorja market, he said, was "like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summer time." The visit was criticized by the New York Times as giving a false indication of how secure the area was due to the extremely heavy security forces McCain brought with him. The visit to the market took place under large security including helicopters overhead.
Guantanamo Bay detention camp
Mike Pence is opposed to shutting down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and trying the suspected terrorists in the US. He believes that trying detainees inside the United States puts “international public relations ahead of public safety and makes a mockery of American justice”. Pence believes that “the Obama administration must overturn this wrongheaded decision”.As an alternative, Pence has said that the “enemy combatants” should be tried in a military tribunal.
Fairness Doctrine
Recently, Pence has urged House Democrats to sign onto a petition which would discharge the Broadcaster Freedom Act, a bill that would outlaw restoration of the Fairness DoctrineFairness Doctrine
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission , introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable...
. Pence believes that the Fairness Doctrine will "censor the airwaves of American talk radio and American Christian radio".
Online gambling
Pence is an advocate of federal restrictions of online gambling. In 2006, he along with 34 others cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.Congressional campaigns
Pence ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1988 and 1990, losing to longtime Democratic incumbent Phil Sharp with the direct endorsement of President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. Many considered Pence's political future dead at that point.
In 2000, however, Pence was elected after six-year incumbent David McIntosh
David M. McIntosh
David Martin McIntosh is a lawyer who served as a Republican representative from Indiana from January 3, 1995, to January 3, 2001. McIntosh was the Republican candidate for Governor of Indiana in 2000, losing to incumbent Democrat Frank O'Bannon He is currently a candidate in Indiana's 5th...
opted to run for governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
. His first term in Congress began in January 2001. The 6th District comprises all or portions of 19 counties in eastern Indiana, and was numbered as the 2nd District during his first term in Congress. He has been reelected four more times by comfortable margins. In the 2006 House elections, he defeated Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Barry Welsh. He was listed as one of the top ten legislators by Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine in 2008.
2010
Pence had been encouraged by William Kristol
William Kristol
William Kristol is an American neoconservative political analyst and commentator. He is the founder and editor of the political magazine The Weekly Standard and a regular commentator on the Fox News Channel....
of The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard is an American neoconservative opinion magazine published 48 times per year. Its founding publisher, News Corporation, debuted the title September 18, 1995. Currently edited by founder William Kristol and Fred Barnes, the Standard has been described as a "redoubt of...
, among others, to run in 2010
United States Senate election in Indiana, 2010
-Hostettler:-Stutzman:-Polling:-Results:-Candidates:*Brad Ellsworth , U.S. Congressman*Dan Coats , former U.S. Senator*Rebecca Sink-Burris , Teacher and small business owner-Campaign:...
against incumbent Democratic Senator Evan Bayh
Evan Bayh
Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III is a lawyer, advisor and former Democratic politician who served as the junior U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1999 to 2011. He earlier served as the 46th Governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997. Bayh is a current Fox News contributor as of March 14, 2011.Bayh first held...
. Pence led Senator Bayh by a 3 point margin according to Rasmussen polling done on January 21st and 24th, 2010. On January 26th, 2010, in an open letter to friends and supporters through Facebook, Pence announced his decision not to run for the Senate; he cited his role in the Republican leadership and the belief that Republicans would win back the House in 2010 as his reasons for staying in the House of Representatives.
House Republican leadership campaigns
2006On November 8th, 2006, Mike Pence announced his candidacy for leader of the Republican Party (minority leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
) in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Pence's release announcing his run for minority leader focused on a "return to the values" of the 1994 Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
. He said regarding the Contract with America
Contract with America
The Contract with America was a document released by the United States Republican Party during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text...
: "Our opponents will say that the American people rejected our Republican vision. I say the American people didn't quit on the Contract with America, we did. And in so doing, we severed the bonds of trust between our party and millions of our most ardent supporters..."
Some political analysts, such as Robert D. Novak, say Pence benefited in the long run from the endorsement of numerous organizations and individuals aligned with the party's base. Some of those include Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
, Laura Ingraham
Laura Ingraham
Laura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
, and Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
. Ingraham stated on her show, "If there is a God in heaven, (Pence) will be the next House minority leader." Pence also received support from the Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
and David Keene
David Keene
David A. Keene , President of the National Rifle Association as of May 2, 2011, was the chairman of the American Conservative Union, from 1984 to 2011. Additionally, he is the managing associate at the Carmen Group Lobbying, a lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C...
from the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
.
On November 17th, Pence lost to Representative John Boehner
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
by a vote of 168-27-1 (the one vote went to Representative Joe Barton
Joe Barton
Joseph Linus "Joe" Barton is a Republican politician, representing in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1985, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
of Texas).
2008
After defeating Rev. Barry Welsh in the 2008 House election
United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana, 2008
The 2008 congressional elections in Indiana were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Indiana in the United States House of Representatives. Indiana has nine seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census...
, Pence was elected by his GOP colleagues to become the Republican Conference Chairman
Republican Conference Chairman of the United States House of Representatives
This is a list of Republican Conference Chairmen of the United States House of Representatives.-References:...
, the third-highest-ranking Republican leadership position. He ran unopposed and was elected unanimously. He is the first Representative from Indiana to hold a House leadership position since 1981.
Potential presidential campaigns
Mike Pence was mentioned as a possible candidate for President in 2008, but he didn't run. In June 2009, an MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
political blog listed him as one of a dozen or so possible Republican candidates for President in 2012
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
. That month, the Des Moines Register
Des Moines Register
The Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
reported that he planned to visit the Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
area in late July. Iowa has the first caucus
Iowa caucus
The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1784 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99 conventions...
in early 2012, before the primaries in other states. He also scheduled a visit to New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, home of the first presidential primary, in 2010. In September 2010, Pence was the top choice for President in a straw poll conducted by the Value Voters Summit.
Pence was expected to announce whether he would run for president or governor in the 2012 elections
United States elections, 2012
The 2012 United States elections will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. The 57th quadrennial presidential election will be held on this date, coinciding with Senate elections where 33 races will occur, as well as House of Representatives elections to elect the members for the 113th Congress...
on January 27, 2011. Sources indicated that he had ruled out a presidential campaign, but was still considering a run for governor.
Personal life
Pence and his wife Karen have three children: Michael, Charlotte, and Audrey. Michael is a student at Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
. Pence is a declared Christian and attends Community Church of Greenwood in Greenwood, Indiana
Greenwood, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,037 people, 14,931 households, and 9,600 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,524.8 people per square mile . There were 16,042 housing units at an average density of 1,123.9 per square mile...
. The Pence family lives in Arlington, Virginia while Congress is in session.
External links
- U.S. Congressman Mike Pence official U.S. House site
- Mike Pence for Congress official campaign site
- Truth-O-Meter Profile at PolitiFact.comPolitiFact.comPolitiFact.com is a project that is operated by the St. Petersburg Times, a project in which its reporters and editors "fact-check statements by members of Congress, the White House, lobbyists and interest groups...." They publish original statements and their evaluations on the PolitiFact.com...
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Candidate information from Our Campaigns