Michael Richard Pence is an American politician and a staunch conservative. He has served in many electoral offices. Before his vice presidency, Pence served as Indiana’s 2nd and 6th district representative and the 50th governor of Indiana.
Before joining Donald Trump in 2016 as his running mate, Pence was the governor of Indiana. He is popular for his strong conservative values and advocacy for limited government. Before the White House, Mike R. Pence was not as wealthy as he is today. His net worth increased when he became Donald Trump’s vice president. His current net worth is $4 million.
Mike Pence Biography
Early Life and Education
Mike Pence is a 64-year-old American politician born on June 7, 1959. A native of Columbus, Indiana, Pence is one of six children of Ann Jane Pence and Edward Pence. His father, Edward Joseph Pence Jr., was a United States Army veteran and a businessman. He helped build the now-collapsed Kiel Bros. Oil Co., an empire of over 200 gas stations.
Michael Pence graduated from Columbus North High School. He developed his political interest while in high school. He volunteered for the Bartholomew County Republican Party.
He enrolled at Hanover College, where he continued to build his political stamina. He was a committed conservative and a member of the College Republicans. He graduated from Hanover with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1981 and joined a Law School. Mike Pence graduated from Indiana University School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 1986.
Personal Life
Mike Pence met Karen Batten during a church mass in Indianapolis. Karen Pence was a guitarist at the church. At the time, Mike was still a law student at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. They started dating and married in 1985.
Mike and Karen Pence have two daughters and a son. Their son is Michael Jr., a second lieutenant and pilot in the United States Army. Their daughters are Charlotte and Audrey. During his vice presidential campaigns, it was discovered that he owed up to $280,000 in student loans. He borrowed the funds to take his three children through college.
Career
Mike Pence began his career as an attorney in private practice. His first attempt at electoral office was in 1988. He vied for a seat in the United States Congress to represent Indiana. He lost to incumbent Philip Sharp. He tried again in 1990 and lost. Sharp represented Indiana for ten terms.
During this time, Michael Pence decided to try a career in radio and television. He hosted several talk shows, including The Mike Pence Show, which aired daily on WRCR. The show helped springboard Mike Pence’s political career. He knew how to talk to his audience and potential future voters and used the show to reach them.
Political Career
After a ten-year break from politics, Pence returned with a bang. He ran for the U.S. House Of Representatives for Indiana’s 2nd congressional district. Pence represented the 2nd district from 2001 to 2003 and the 6th district from 2006 to 2013.
During his time in the U.S. Congress, Pence was a member of the Tea Party Caucus. In 2009, Mike Pence won an election to become the chairman of the House Republican Conference. During his 12-year tenure in the U.S. Congress, he introduced 90 bills and resolutions, but none became law.
Governor of Indiana
In 2012, Mike Pence won the Republican primary elections for Indiana gubernatorial elections. He won the elections to become Indiana’s 50th governor. His first job as governor was to issue the largest tax cuts in Indiana’s history. He also advocated for increased funding for private education.
Following his strong belief in the Christian faith, Governor Pence was against abortions. He also stood against everything that went against his Christian faith, such as the LGBTQ.
One of the bills he signed into law was the 2015 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The bill received a strong backlash from several communities, including the LGBTQ. The business community said the law allowed discrimination. This could chase investors away from Indiana.
Even more moderate Republicans were against the RFRA. Governor Pence eventually gave in to the protests. He amended the bill to restrict gender and sexual orientation discrimination. Despite these controversies, his time as governor brought visible economic growth to Indiana.
Vice-President
While he did seek gubernatorial reelection in 2016, Mike Pence dropped out of the race. This was after Donald Trump invited him to be his presidential running mate. They won the elections.
Vice President-Elect Pence was inaugurated in January 2017. Among his first assignments as vice president was to chair the reestablished National Space Council. He was also a key player in Trump’s affairs, such as the Trump-Ukraine scandal. Pence strongly defended Trump during the first impeachment. He strongly defended Trump’s corrupt phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the White House formed a task force to mitigate its spread. Mike Pence was the chairman of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. He faced criticism for failing to put in place measures to control the disease. He also issued false information about the pandemic.
Take a Look at Pence Criticizes Fauci, Democratic Governors On Covid Response:
These issues caused Donald Trump and Mike Pence to face bad public approval. Going into the 2020 presidential elections, their approval rate had dropped drastically. This gave Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris a free pass into the White House.
Trump and Pence suffered one of the biggest presidential elections defeat in U.S. history. But they refused to concede. They tried many times to overturn the presidential election results.
They tried fraud allegations and filed over 80 lawsuits across the United States. They even tried pressuring government officials in the justice department and Republican officials. They wanted the officials to initiate the process of overturning the results.
Their actions led to the attempted revolt in the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Donald Trump did not want Joe Biden’s certification to go through. Even with Trump’s pressure to block it, Pence proceeded with Biden’s certification.
Mike Pence’s political career continues into 2024. He announced earlier this year that he would seek the Republican presidential nomination. Among other Republican candidates, Mike Pence will face his former boss in the primary elections.
Mike Pence Vice President Salary
Before Mike Pence became the second-in-command, his net worth was quite low. According to his financial filings of 2017, the former vice president had only one source of income, his gubernatorial salary of $174,000 per year. His net worth grew exponentially when he became vice president.
Though his salary as the vice president was only $235,100, he has made millions from book deals and speaking appearances. He is also entitled to lifetime state and federal pensions totaling $85,000 annually.
Mike Pence House
A few months after Pence signed a seven-figure book deal, he purchased a $1.93 million home in Camel, Indiana. They paid $100,000 more than the asking price of the seven-bedroom house. The 10,300-square-foot home sits on a five-acre property.
Donations and Philanthropy
There is not much information about Mike Pence’s philanthropic activities and involvement. However, from his financial disclosures, we can conclude that he supports conservative causes.
Pence supported many charitable organizations and foundations during his tenure as Indiana governor. He helped secure funding for mental health, addiction, and veteran-supporting causes. By endorsing or advocating for these causes, Pence made it easy for them to raise funds. Pence has also been a strong advocate of faith-based and religious charitable causes.
It is unknown how much he contributed to these causes. He, however, used his political platform to endorse them for funding.
FAQs
What Religion is Mike Pence?
Like many Americans of Irish descent, Michael R. Pence was born and raised a catholic. However, he switched to become an evangelical, born-again Christian when he went to college.
How Much Money Did Mike Pence Make on His Book?
After leaving the White House, Mike Pence signed a seven-figure book deal with Simon & Schuster. The exact figure is unknown but is believed to be around $3 million or $4 million.
What is Mike Pence Doing Now?
Since he left office as the United States vice president, Pence has been busy giving paid speeches and authoring memoirs. The former vice president announced he would be in the race to the White House in the 2024 presidential elections.
Conclusion
Mike Pence won his first electoral seat in 2000 at 40. Since then, the conservative Republican has built political stamina. He is now among the most popular politicians in the United States. He is popular for his conservative values and strong stance on the Christian faith.
Before becoming Donald Trump’s vice president, Pence had a modest net worth. His wealth grew exponentially during and after his vice presidency. Thanks to seven-figure book deals and paid speaking engagements, he added a few million dollars to his net worth after office.
