Mike Pence Quick Facts | CNN Politics



cnn

Here's a look at the life of Mike Pence, the 48th vice president of the United States.

Birthdate: June 7, 1959

Place of birth: Columbus, Indiana

Birth name: Michael Richard Pence

Father: Edward Pence, gas station owner

Mother: Nancy Pence-Fritsch

Marriage: Karen Pence (1985-present)

Children: Michael, Charlotte and Audrey

Education: Hanover College (Indiana), B.A., 1981; Indiana University School of Law, JD, 1986

Religion: evangelical christian

After his first two unsuccessful runs for Congress, Pence wrote an essay, “Confessions of a Negative Activist.” In the 1991 article, he pledged not to use insulting language or air ads that disparage his opponents.

During the 2010 Value Voter Summit, Pence took the stage and said, “I'm a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.”

Pence was a Democrat as a teenager. He has said that he voted for Jimmy Carter, not Ronald Reagan, in the 1980 election.

Pence's Irish grandfather emigrated through Ellis Island in 1923.

1991-1993 – President of the conservative think tank Indiana Policy Review Foundation.

1992-1999 – He hosts a radio show, “The Mike Pence Show.” The show is syndicated to 18 stations in Indiana.

2000 – He is elected to the United States House of Representatives for Indiana's 2nd district.

2002 – He is elected to the United States House of Representatives for Indiana's 6th district. The district was renumbered in 2002. He was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

2009-2011 – He is the president of the Republican Conference.

2012 – He is elected governor of Indiana. His campaign includes a statewide grassroots walk called the “Big Red Truck Tour.”

January 2015 – Announces and then scraps plans to launch a state news outlet called “Just IN.”

January 27, 2015 – Wins federal approval for a state plan for Medicaid expansion, the “Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0.”

March 26, 2015 – Pence signs the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which prohibits local governments from intervening when businesses turn away customers for religious reasons. The law raises concerns about discrimination, particularly within the LGBTQ community. After the law is passed, a wave of boycotts and petitions rock the state, with companies like Apple and organizations like the NCAA criticizing the bill and threatening to reconsider future business opportunities in Indiana.

April 2, 2015 – Pence signs new version of RFRA prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

July 15, 2016 – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tweets that he has chosen Pence as his running mate. The formal announcement will take place on July 16.

November 8, 2016 – He is elected vice president of the United States.

January 20, 2017 – Sworn in as Vice President of the United States.

January 27, 2017 – Pence speaks at the March for Life, an anti-abortion rally in Washington. He is the first sitting vice president to deliver a speech at the annual event.

February 7, 2017 – Cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as the next Secretary of Education. This is the first time a vice president has needed to cast the deciding vote on a Cabinet nomination.

February 18, 2017 – Pence delivers a speech at the Munich Security Conference, declaring that the United States will hold Russia accountable for acts of aggression even as the Trump administration makes an effort to cultivate stronger ties with Moscow. The vice president also says that the United States “strongly supports NATO and will be unwavering in our commitment to our transatlantic alliance.” Pence adds a warning: NATO member countries should increase their defense spending.

March 2, 2017 – The Indianapolis Star reports that while he was governor of Indiana, Pence used a private email account to conduct some state business and that it was hacked. The Indiana Code of Ethics does not address the use of personal emails by officials. Pence also had a state-provided email address. Pence says there is “no comparison” between her situation and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

August 9, 2018 – In a speech to U.S. military and civilian personnel, Pence calls for the establishment of a Space Force by 2020. Pence also announces immediate steps the Department of Defense would take to reform the way the military approaches space.

January 16, 2019 – At the Global Heads of Mission conference, Pence declares that “the caliphate has collapsed and ISIS has been defeated.” Hours earlier, the US-led coalition confirmed that US troops had been killed in an explosion in Manbij, an attack for which ISIS claimed responsibility.

May 30, 2019 – During his talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canada, Pence says he is “very proud to be part of a pro-life administration” and that he is concerned about what he calls “the Democratic Party in our country and leaders across the country.” ”. , supporting late-term abortion, even infanticide.”

February 26, 2020 – Trump places Pence in charge of the US government's response to the new coronavirus, amid growing criticism of the White House's handling of the outbreak.

April 28, 2020 – Pence visits the Mayo Clinic without a mask, ignoring the facility's current policy requiring the use of protective masks at all times. Later, Pence says he should have worn a mask during his visit.

November 7, 2020 – Days after the Nov. 3 presidential election, CNN projects that Trump and Pence lost to former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.

April 7, 2021 – Pence announces the launch of a new political advocacy group, “Advancing American Freedom.” The group's stated goal is to “promote the pro-freedom policies of the past four years that created unprecedented prosperity at home and restored respect for the United States abroad, defend those policies from liberal attacks and distortions.” of the media, and prevent the radical left from enacting their political agenda that would threaten the freedoms of the United States,” according to a statement from the group. The same day, the publisher Simon & Schuster announces that it will publish Pence's autobiography.

April 14, 2021 – Pence undergoes surgery to have a pacemaker implanted to help combat a slow heart rate.

November 14, 2022 – During an interview with ABC's David Muir, Pence says he believes “America will have better options in the future” than Trump as president in 2024, and admits he is considering running himself.

November 15, 2022 – Pence's new memoir, “So Help Me God,” is published. The book includes Pence's recollections of his experience during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

April 27, 2023 – Pence is testifying before a federal grand jury investigating the fallout from the 2020 election and the actions of Trump and others, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The testimony marks the first time in modern history that a vice president has been forced to testify about the president he served alongside.

June 6, 2023 – Pence announces he is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in a launch video. On October 28 he suspends his campaign for the presidency.

March 15, 2024 – He says he “cannot in good conscience” endorse presumptive Republican nominee Trump, a stunning repudiation of his former running mate and the president he served under.

scroll to top