Mike Pence | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2017 | |
| 48th Vice President of the United States | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Joe Biden |
| Succeeded by | Kamala Harris |
| 50th Governor of Indiana | |
| In office January 14, 2013 – January 9, 2017 | |
| Lieutenant |
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| Preceded by | Mitch Daniels |
| Succeeded by | Eric Holcomb |
| Chair of the House Republican Conference | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Leader | John Boehner |
| Preceded by | Adam Putnam |
| Succeeded by | Jeb Hensarling |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | David M. McIntosh |
| Succeeded by | Luke Messer |
| Constituency |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Richard Pence June 7, 1959 Columbus, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (from 1983) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (until 1983) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, including Charlotte Pence Bond |
| Relatives | Greg Pence (brother) John Pence (nephew) |
| Residence(s) | Carmel, Indiana, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website |
Other offices
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Vice President of the United States
U.S. Representative
for Indiana's 2nd and 6th districts Vice presidential campaigns
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Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump during the first administration. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013.
Born and raised in Columbus, Indiana, Pence graduated from Hanover College and then from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law before entering private practice. He lost two House bids in 1988 and 1990 and was a conservative radio and television talk show host from 1994 to 1999. After being elected to the House in 2000, Pence represented Indiana's 2nd district from 2001 to 2003 and 6th district from 2003 to 2013. He chaired the Republican Study Committee from 2005 to 2007 and House Republican Conference from 2009 to 2011. He was elected governor of Indiana in 2012.
As governor, Pence initiated the largest tax cut in Indiana's history and pushed for more funding for private education initiatives. He signed bills intended to restrict abortions, including one that prohibited abortions if the reason for the procedure was the fetus's race, gender, or disability, and required funerary services for terminated fetuses, including those resulting from miscarriage;[1] this law was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge and prevented from going into effect.[2][3] After Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, he encountered resistance from moderate members of his party, the business community, and LGBT advocates. The backlash against the bill led Pence to approve changes to the law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and other criteria. He later became the running mate of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who won the 2016 presidential election.
As vice president, Pence chaired the National Space Council following its reestablishment in 2017 as well as the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which was established in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pence and Trump lost their bid for re-election in the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, although Trump refused to concede, made false or unproven allegations of election fraud, and filed numerous unsuccessful lawsuits in multiple states. Despite Trump's urging to overturn the election results and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Pence oversaw the certification of Biden–Harris as the winner of the election.
Pence has since distanced himself from Trump, endorsing candidates in primary elections in opposition to those supported by Trump and criticizing Trump's conduct on the day of the Capitol attack.[4] In June 2023, he launched a bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, but withdrew by the end of October. He chose not to endorse Trump in the general election. Likewise, Trump decided not to have Pence as his vice-presidential candidate again, instead choosing JD Vance.
- ^ Crockett, Emily (March 26, 2016). "Indiana crammed as many anti-abortion bills as it could into this horrifying new law". Vox. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Crockett, Emily (July 14, 2016). "Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a law this year that mandated funerals for fetuses". Vox. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Wang, Stephanie (June 30, 2016). "Judge halts Indiana's new abortion law". IndyStar. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Adam Nagourney, Adam (June 7, 2024). "Trump ran him out of MAGA. But Mike Pence still wants in the GOP". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2024.