Former Vice President Mike Pence filed his candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission on Monday morning, joining a Republican field that includes former President Donald Trump.
Pence served as the nation’s 48th vice president. He will have his formal kickoff event in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday, which is also the day he turns 64 years old.
Pence served as the 50th governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. He was vice president from 2017 to 2021.
He has been to Alaska several times during his term as vice president, mostly for brief fuel stops on his way overseas. But he and his wife Karen are big supporters of Samaritan’s Purse, and have traveled north to show their support to military veterans and their spouses at Operation Heal Our Patriots at Lake Clark, where the organization, founded by Franklin Graham, hosts veteran couples at Samaritan Lodge. The Pences were out at the lodge in the summer of 2022.
Pence sets up an interesting contrast with Trump, as both of them went through the Jan. 6 protest of the certification of the 2020 election, when objectors to the certification took over the U.S. Capitol. Conservatives have differing viewpoints on the role of Trump vs. the role of Pence, who has criticized Trump for his actions that day. Some conservatives say Pence should have overturned the election of Biden, but he maintains he had no credible basis to do so.
“President Trump was wrong,” Pence told dinner guests at the Gridiron Dinner, a formal event in March. “I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”
Pence is a conservative Christian who opposes abortion and transgender ideology being pushed on children. He has been laying the foundation for his candidacy for months, with appearances in the early voting states, such as Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
With Trump holding a strong lead among conservative voters, Pence may serve as a reminder to voters that there were are other considerations regarding Trump’s record. It could create drama and distraction from the rest of the GOP field, which includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, commentator Larry Elder, Dallas businessman Ryan Binkley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is also planning to announce on Wednesday, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to announce this week.
Photo: Mike and Karen Pence with a military couple at Samaritan Lodge in the summer of 2022.
Why? He has zero chance of winning.
Trumpers won’t vote for him, progressives won’t vote for him, white women wont vote for him.
With Scott and Hailey in the race, Pence will have an uphill battle winning minority votes.
His only solid constituency appears to be Christian voters, most of whom are more concerned about their pocket book than his candidacy.
Whoever advised him to do this should be fired and sued for political malpractice.
“Christian” voters that is
The people who advised him are going to suck up at least 10% of whatever campaign donations he gets.
All these longshot (non-DeSantis) candidates are betting that Trump’s indictment will destroy his polls. I do think Trump will be indicted; I don’t think it’ll significantly impacts his polls.
Would vote for RFK, Jr way, WAY before I would EVER vote for feckless Pence.
My how quickly we turn. Pence is a scumbag.
Why? Because he upheld the Constitution?
No. Because he’s a coward and doesn’t know how to fight back in the wake of evil-doers, cheats, and election thieves. Wouldn’t want Mike Pence in my foxhole fighting the enemy.
There is nothing unconstitutional about challenging the results of an election. The election for US President isn’t over until The President of the Senate (Vice President of US) opens the certified and sealed transmittals from the various electors of the various states, and they get counted. Until that time, challenges are lawful and not rare. Not listening to challenges isn’t defending the constitution necessarily.
The VP does not now, and never has had the power to do anything but certify the EC.
The VP does not have the power to entertain fantasies outside his Constitutional authority.
It is not the VPs job to question or challenge the EC.
Hey MA. Consider this. As you stated, the VP is to CERTIFY the count by the electoral college. The key word being ‘certify’.
To certify something means that you agree with the info/findings that you’ve been given. It does NOT mean that you are simply a rubber stamp. When the counts are read out, the states electoral voting groups have an opportunity to argue for or against the count. Then the combined house and senate have an opportunity to do the same. The final certification is overseen by the VP. The count can be disputed at any of these levels. None of these entities are bound to simply accept the count as that makes no sense at all. Why would the Constitution be written to just rubber stamp earlier counts?
Yawn.
If he wants to serve the public, he should stick to working with Samaritans Purse.
Agreed. His effective time in politics is over.
If he’s trying to derail Trump, his entry into an overcrowded pool increase Trumps chances.
Hi Paul I think that wouldn’t be serving the public as we know it Paul. That would be serving the god od Graham.
If he wants to serve the public, he could apply as custodian in public schools.
I always liked how Pence as governor capitulated on needle exchanges when he realized he had a HUGE problem with HIV in Indiana that he had made worse by not allowing the exchange at first. But as a presidential candidate-no, I can’t imagine he could draw the numbers. Does he have any policy speeches?
The idea of Pence, with the same haircut, in old gray coveralls and clompy work boots, pushing a dust mop down a school hall makes me laugh like a second grader! I needed that.
Not all missionaries are in the same class. I know some, like the guys at Samaritans Purse, that show up with supplies like food/water or medical. They understand that you can’t preach to a dead guy, so they need to help the locals physically BEFORE they start preaching. Contrast those people with groups like the Clinton initiative, that simply dumped supplies at an airport and left.
Interesting take on the needle exchange program. The programs seem sketchy to me but I can see the short term good it can do.
So in order to do Graham’s God’s worship, they will entice the folks to this guy’s God by providing emergency service. STILL not service. They want to come as people to help in an emergency. Great. If you come by your God’s word you are NOT there to serve people, but your God. Samaritan’s Purse doesn’t do anything without a big sign saying who they are.
Pence would do well to apply as custodian.
Yes the needle exchanges are unusual, but in an outbreak prove valuable to bring down the spread of disease by those who use them.
The name comes from the Old Testament story of the ‘Good Samaritan’. In that story, the Samaritan comes across a man from a rival town, who has been injured in a robbery. He gives the man medical aid and even gives him his shoes in order to help him. The story even tells that the Samaritan was ridiculed for helping someone from the ‘wrong town’ but he helped the man anyways.
So, of course Christians should serve God, it’s kinda in the name. But a part of that service is that God has directed US to help other humans. Since I believe that God is all knowing, I’m sure that he would know the difference if I genuinely reached out to provide help to someone as compared to helping others with the sole purpose of buttering up God.
I’ll give an example. If I saw you, Maureen, slip and fall on the ice, I would not think about whether I should or should not help you up, because, after all we are often on opposite sides of arguments. NO! I would help you up and find out if you needed further aid. I.e., do you need medical help or maybe a ride home? A Christian does not relegate help only to other Christians. And while I might ask God to help me provide the correct aid in the heat of the moment, I’m not praying ‘Look! Look at me, God! Aren’t I being a great Christian?’
Maybe you are correct in a sense that Christians provide aid because we feel that is the right thing to do. And we see right and wrong through God’s direction. But if you ever come across someone jumping around bragging about what a good person they are and ‘isn’t God going to be impressed!’, step back, cause there’s about to be a lightning strike, lol.
I respect VP Pence, but don’t see any reason for him to run. The lane just isn’t there.
Ryan Binkley already running for president? I thought he was too busy trying to sell his Left-wing newspapers to folks in Anchorage. I’m sure his dad will talk him out of this before the ADN takes another really deep dive.
I’m waiting for Bill the Cat to announce he’s running.
Now THERE’S a candidate I could get behind! Lol.
ACK!!!
Pence did nothing as VP. When it’s all said and done, now he attacks Trump. Don’t waste your time, Pence.
Zero Chance of Success.
Yawn…. He’s a Deep State, War Monger, Uniparty, Globalist & has zero chance of becoming President unless election fraud is involved! Want proof? The corrupt Biden Dept. of Justice recently declined to prosecute Pence for possession of classified documents. If he wasn’t already compromised by the Deep State, they would have thrown the book at him.
Mike Pence – The President America needs…however the one few want
He’s in it for the sweet sweet donor ca$h
No one cares about pence
Those who control the polling stations and ballot counting process are the ones who decide our elections now, not the voters. If you doubt that , I am truly happy for your state of bliss. But really now, just count all of the lies being told, man made climate change, systemic racism, transgenderism, alternative energy, sustainable this, sustainable that, white supremacy, equality under the law, Biden got 81 million votes, the mostly peaceful j6 protests were an insurrection, Trump tried to over throw the election, the border is secure, Hillary is innocent. Really? No black American alive today was ever a slave, no white person alive today ever owned a slave. But the Democrats want “White Folks” to be punished for what happened 150 years ago.That did not happen to ANY “ Black Folks” alive today. I do believe, given the opportunity Mike Pence would quickly surrender to the Democrats on every issue mentioned. I much prefer the narcissist to the coward in this case.
All very well said, Citizenkane!
UNREAL.
Yawn
Mike Pence was good at only one thing during his four years with Trump ……
.
Remaining totally silent.
Pence was so afraid of Donald Trump, he rarely spoke. Trump will take him out in his opening line during the primary debates.
As always, smarmy, sanctimonious, and self-righteous.
Just who does he think will vote for him? Libs hate him as do most Conservatives. I guess he’s counting on the pious. Best of luck.
Comments are closed.