Mike Pence

Why He Matters

Though he’s now one of the most prominent Republicans in the House, Pence never forgot his radio roots. As chair of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), Pence worked to promote the conservative agenda. He is a popular guest on television and radio and  knows how to use a press conference to his advantage. Friends have nicknamed him “Rush Limbaugh on decaf.” Lee, Christopher, “Putting a New Face on Conservatism,” Washington Post, March 22, 2005

Pence’s profile rose in the 111th Congress as he assumed the title of House GOP Conference chairman, a post to which he was elected in November 2008 after Republicans were thrashed in the elections. As the face of a new House GOP leadership, Pence is charged with resurrecting Republicans’ battered brand and trying to sell it to a broad swath of voters. The new role seems tailor-made for the media-savvy Republican, who has challenged the party leadership in the past. “If you can’t communicate, you can’t govern,” he told Biz Voice magazine in 2007.Schuman, Tom, “Getting the Word Out,” BizVoice Indiana Chamber, March 2007 

Pence was first elected to Congress with 51 percent of the vote in 2000, and has been reelected easily since. He was named "Conservative of the Year" by Human Events in 2007.Human Events

Path to Power

Pence was born in Columbus, Ind., one of six children. As a teenager, he was a supporter of President John F. Kennedy, in large part because, like Kennedy, he was raised Catholic.

Pence received his undergraduate degree from Hanover College in 1980. It was at Hanover that he experienced a conversion of sorts — from Democrat sympathizer to Republican, and from Catholic to evangelical protestant.
He attended Indiana University law school, where he received his J.D. in 1986.

Pence started working as an attorney, but quickly found his way into the political spotlight. He ran unsuccessfully for the House seat he now holds in 1988 and 1990, losing both times to Rep. Phil Sharp (D-Ind.), a moderate Democrat.
After his second defeat, Pence wrote a piece called “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner” for the Indiana Policy Review. In it, he quoted St. Paul and apologized for accusing his opponent of shady business dealings. “It is wrong, quite simply, to squander a candidate's priceless moment in history,” he wrote. “It seems more grievous that I left my supporters so few clues as to how I would have governed differently.”Pence, Mike, “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner, Indiana Policy Review, Summer 1991, http://www.mikepence.com/confessions.htm

After his second defeat, Pence took a break from campaigning, but not from politics. He was the president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, a conservative think tank, and the radio host of “The Mike Pence Show, a right-leaning talk program that was syndicated across the state from 1994 to 2000.

The Issues

Pence is one of the most outspoken conservatives in the Republican Party. He is a particular champion of controlling the federal budget and cutting government spending, and also supports free markets and “traditional” values. 

His decisions are guided by his religion — he tells people “I am a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.”Lee, Christopher, “Putting a New Face on Conservatism,” Washington Post, March 22, 2005 

Pence voted with his party 91 percent of the time during the 110th Congress.Washington Post Votes Database  However, he has opposed his party on some key measures when they don’t conform to his political beliefs. He voted against President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behing, the 2003 Medicare prescription drug benefit and a bankruptcy bill because it included a measure supporting abortion rights.Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition

Pence gained notice (and was attacked by many colleagues) when he challenged former Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s (R-Texas) assertion that it would be impossible to compensate for spending in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina with budget savings elsewhere. Pence and his conservative colleagues proposed numerous ways to save money in the federal budget through an initiative called Operation Offset.

Though the House GOP leadership was furious, “Operation Offset” sparked a debate in Washington and ushered in a renewed effort to limit government spending.

"Katrina breaks my heart," Pence said in 2005. "Congress must do everything the American people expect us to do to meet the needs of families and communities affected by Katrina. But we must not let Katrina break the bank for our children and grandchildren." Hulse, Carl, The New York Times, "G.O.P. Split Over Big Plans for Storm Spending," Sept. 16, 2005

The Network

Pence works closely with other conservative members of the House. He is especially close with Hensarling and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.). He worked with Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) on the 2005 federal shield law to protect journalists and has allied himself with prominent senators such as Hutchison.

Pence was the only House member to file a lawsuit charging that the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law was unconstitutional. At the time, he said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) “was so deep in bed with the Democrats his feet are coming out of the bottom of the sheets.”Citizens Club for Growth  Their relationship has remained chilly.