NPR reports that all signs are indicating presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump plans to pick Gov. Mike pence as his running mate. Trump's campaign says it will make an official announcement Friday at 11. We will carry that live on WFIU.
As Donald Trump prepares to name a running mate, Pence is poised to drop out of his race for re-election, if it turns out he's Trump's choice. Indiana law would prevent him from seeking two offices at once. A Republican source says the paperwork has been drawn up for Pence to withdraw from the governor's race, but that the documents haven't yet been filed.
Pence has spent his entire life and career in Indiana. Here's what you need to know about his history and experience:
Before Politics
- Pence was born and raised in Columbus, Ind.
- Pence graduated from Columbus North High School, Hanover College and the Indiana University School of Law.
- Worked as an attorney after graduating law school.
- Became president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation in 1991.
- Hosted The Mike Pence Show, a radio talk show based in Rushville, Ind.
U.S. House of Representatives
- Represented Indiana's Sixth Congressional District from 2000 to 2012.
- Cosponsored a Spending Limit Amendment which would limit federal spending to one fifth of the American economy.
- Introduced "no amnesty immigration reform" which consisted of tighter border control, a guest worker program and strict enforcement of laws against hiring people living in Indiana illegally.
- Supported the Iraq Resolution and frequently visited Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Opposed the closing of Guantanamo Bay.
- Fervent defender of heterosexual marriage- called for gay marriage to never have the same legal status as heterosexual marriage.
- Called for funding "given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV Virus" to be diverted to conversion therapy programs.
- Unanimously elected Republican Conference Chairman in 2009 (first Hoosier to hold a House leadership position since 1981).
Governor
Elected as the 50th Governor of the State of Indiana in 2012 against Democratic challenger John Gregg.
- Achieved the largest state tax cut in Indiana history.
- Approved about a billion dollars in state and local road funding. Critics call the plan a short-term solution.
- Signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a controversial bill that some said permitted discrimination against the LGBT community. Pence's approval ratings fell and tourism officials scrambled to improve the state's image as an estimated $60 million was lost in Indianapolis alone. Because of the fallout, Pence signed a revised version of the law, known as the "RFRA Fix." Even with the revised language, tourism groups and businesses worried about the fallout.
- Planned to launch a state-run, taxpayer-funded news service for Indiana called "JustIN". The plan was met with criticism and Pence eventually scrapped the idea.
- In 2015, a Republican state representative introduced a bill that would allow a state legislator or governor to run for state office and federal office at the same time. The bill didn't get a hearing and Pence called it a "well-intentioned distraction."
- Pence introduced a state-sponsored health plan: Healthy Indiana Plan, also known as HIP 2.0. Pence is an opponent of President Obama's Affordable Care Act. In 2016, state legislators codified HIP 2.0 into state law.
- Pence signed a controversial abortion bill earlier this year that includes a selective ban on abortions and requires fetal remains to be buried or cremated. The ACLU challenged those portions of the law on behalf of Planned Parenthood and a federal judge in June temporarily blocked certain provisions in the legislation from taking effect as the lawsuit makes its way through court. The ACLU filed a second lawsuit that aims to strike down a portion of the law that requires women to have an ultrasound at least 18 hours before an abortion.