Mike Pence
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Mike Pence
Mike Pence by Gage Skidmore 6.jpg
50th Governor of Indiana
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 14, 2013
Lieutenant Sue Ellspermann
Eric Holcomb
Preceded by Mitch Daniels
Chairman 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's 6th district
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by Dan Burton
Succeeded by Luke Messer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by David McIntosh
Succeeded by Chris Chocola
Personal details
Born Michael Richard Pence
June 7, 1959 (age 57)
Columbus, Indiana, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse

Karen Pence (m. 1985–present)
Children 3
Residence Governor's Residence
Alma mater Hanover College
Indiana University, Indianapolis
Website Gubernatorial website
Trump-Pence campaign site
Mike Pence by Gage Skidmore 6.jpg This article is part of a series
about
Mike Pence
Political ideology Republican Party
Vice presidential nomination
Convention Primaries Election 2016
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Governor of Indiana
2012 election 2016 re-election
U.S. Congressman
6th district (2003-2013) 2nd district (2001-2003)
Indiana-StateSeal.svg
v t e
Michael
Richard "Mike" Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and
attorney serving as the 50th Governor of Indiana. A Republican, Pence
was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2000
and is the nominee of his party for Vice President of the United States
in the 2016 presidential election.
Born and raised in Columbus,
Indiana, Pence graduated from Hanover College and earned a law degree
from the McKinney School of Law before entering private practice. After
losing two bids for a U.S. congressional seat in 1988 and 1990, he
became a conservative radio and television talk show host from 1994 to
1999. Pence successfully ran for Congress in 2000 and represented
Indiana's 2nd congressional district and Indiana's 6th congressional
district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to
2013, rising to the position of chairman of the House Republican
Conference from 2009 to 2011.[1] Pence positioned himself as a
principled ideologue and supporter of the Tea Party movement, noting he
was "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that
order."[2][3][4]
In 2012 Pence was elected the 50th Governor of
Indiana. He successfully advocated the largest tax cut in Indiana's
history, pushed for more funding for education initiatives, and
continued to grow the state's budget surplus. However, he also stirred
several high-profile controversies. After signing the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act, Pence encountered fierce resistance from moderate
members of his party, the business community, and LGBT advocates.
Ultimately, he was forced to neuter the law.[clarification needed] Pence
also signed a bill that prohibited abortions if the reason for the
procedure was the fetus' race, gender, or disability.
In the
midst of his re-election campaign for governor, Pence dropped out in
July 2016 to become the vice presidential running mate for Republican
presidential nominee Donald Trump.