Mike Pence is a lifelong Hoosier, born and raised in Columbus, Indiana, with three brothers and two sisters. Mike graduated from Columbus North High School, went on to graduate from Hanover College in 1981 and earned his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1986.
He was first elected to Congress in 2000 and was most recently elected to a sixth term in November of 2010, representing more than 650,000 Hoosiers in 19 counties in eastern Indiana.
Prior to being elected to Congress, Mike was president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, hosted “The Mike Pence Show,” a syndicated radio show throughout the state of Indiana as well as a Sunday morning television show in Indianapolis.
Elected unanimously by House Republicans to serve as House Republican Conference Chairman in November 2008, Mike helped to develop and disseminate the message of the Republican Conference and worked to promote its Members. Speaker of the House John Boehner described Pence as “a servant leader and cheerful warrior who will never lay down his arms in the fight for a government that honors our Constitution and reflects the consent of the governed.”
During the 109th Congress, Mike served as Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee. The Republican Study Committee is the largest caucus in the House of Representatives; membership grew to 110 House Republicans under his leadership. The group has been the leading voice for advancing conservative social and economic issues in Congress since the mid-1980s.
In addition, Mike sits on the House Judiciary Committee where he serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and is also a member of the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet. He also serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee where he is the Vice-Chairman on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. He previously served Hoosiers on the House Agriculture and Small Business committees.
A strong supporter of the military, Mike has visited Hoosier soldiers in Iraq and/or Afghanistan every year since hostilities started in the Middle East. From soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines aboard aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf to bases in Kabul and Baghdad and beyond, Mike has made visiting men and women in uniform who sacrifice to keep us safe a high priority.
Mike describes himself as “a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.” Mike and his wife Karen have been married for 26 years, live in Columbus, Indiana, and reside in the greater Washington, D.C. area when Congress is in session. They have three children, Michael, Charlotte and Audrey. Karen is an elementary school art teacher. The Pence family enjoys riding horses in southern Indiana, playing sports and vacationing together.
Service and Recognition
Mike Pence has emerged as a respected legislator and national spokesman for conservative principles. Last year Mike was named one of the top 25 hardest working representatives by The Hill newspaper.
The Washington Post described him as “A New Face on Conservatism” observing that Mike has “delivered conservative opinions with the even tones and polite demeanor of his Midwest upbringing.”
In 2005 he was named “Man of the Year” by the leading conservative publication Human Events for his leadership on behalf of fiscal discipline.
Mike has repeatedly received the Taxpayers’ Friend Award from the National Taxpayers’ Union for his commitment to advocating for responsible tax and spending policies, and he was one of seven Members of Congress to receive the “Taxpayer Super Hero” award from Citizens Against Government Waste in 2009.
Mike was also awarded the Friend of the Family Award by the Indiana Family Institute, and the Distinguished Christian Statesmanship Award by the Center for Christian Statesmanship. In addition, he was recognized by the Inland Press Association for his work in defense of free speech and a free press.
On Martin Luther King Day in January 2007, he was honored with the Duerson Award during a ceremony in Muncie, Indiana. The award is named for former Chicago Bear and Muncie native Dave Duerson’s parents and is given for extraordinary commitment to the community.
