In the News

Peru Tribune, Jonathan Kleyer, 2/20/2012

Congressman Mike Pence, Republican U.S. representative for Indiana’s sixth district, spoke at Miami County’s Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday to rally local Republicans as part of his push for the governorship.

More than 280 tickets had been sold for the dinner in Miami County’s 4-H exhibition building. Addressing the room, Pence said he wants to be Indiana’s governor because he felt current Gov. Mitch Daniels had brought the state to the brink of economic greatness, and that the right leadership could help the state progress even further.

“The message I’m taking to the four corners of Indiana is that I think Indiana is on the verge of growth and opportunity,” Pence said.

Indiana went from near bankruptcy to being “the financial envy” of the country in the seven years of Daniel’s office. To build on that, Pence said he felt leaders need to fight to keep taxes low, look to make further cuts for small businesses and family farms, and make sure that recent legislative education reform efforts produce results.

He added that he felt whoever the next governor of Indiana is, the primary focus for the next five years must be on jobs. Though Pence described Indiana’s economy positively, the congressman said there are still more than 250,000 Hoosiers out of work, and many have only been able to find jobs with lower wages.

“Indiana can be the place that knocks the rust off the rust belt,” Pence said.

Pence also said he was for reducing the size of government – and along with that, he wants to see state governments act more on their own. Hoosiers need to act for the state because the “cure for the country” is not waiting in Washington D.C., he said.

The congressman earned degrees from Hanover College in 1981 and the Indiana University School of Law in 1986. He was elected to Congress in 2000. His background also includes time as president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation and as host of the “Mike Pence Show,” a radio program.

Indiana State Sen. Randy Head, R-Logansport, said he felt Pence would be a good successor to Daniels, with a background serving on business and agricultural committee.

Describing this year’s legislative session as rough, Head urged Republicans to stay positive, and said Pence presented a good opportunity to keep things moving positively.

Head also commented that the dinner was one of the highest-attended Lincoln Day Dinners that he has seen.

Pence’s focus on topics such as jobs and education were highlights of his speech at the dinner, said Janet Corwin, Miami County Republican Women president. Corwin has heard the congressman speak before, but said this was the first time she had heard him speak for a run to become governor.

“It’s a huge turnout. We had seats for 300, and I believe we nearly filled them,” Corwin said. “(Pence) is just a wonderful speaker.”

On Monday, Mike filed more than 13,000 petition signatures from Hoosiers in all 92 counties to secure a place on the ballot for the May 8th primary. Below is a sample of some of the news coverage from this major milestone for the campaign:

AP: Indiana gubernatorial candidates gear up

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Pence turned in more than 13,000 signatures from supporters to get his name on the statewide ballot for governor. Pence and about 100 supporters walked 92 boxes of signatures Monday morning to the Indiana Elections Division. “Today, I’m going to make it official,” he said to cheers outside the Indiana Government Center South in downtown. “I am seeking the Republican nomination for governor of the state of Indiana.”

Indianapolis Star: Front-runner Pence is first to turn in signatures to get on ballot

Standing next to his wife, Karen, Pence said Monday that he plans a positive, issues-oriented campaign. Pence said he wants to bring a “common-sense and common values” approach to the office. And he wants to build upon the work of Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is in his eighth and final year as governor. “It is going to be a people-centered campaign that will carry our message for an even better Indiana to the four corners of the state,” Pence said. “And we will be carrying our message to every community, in the city and on the farm.”

WIBC: Pence Files Petitions for Gubernatorial Bid

Pence led a brigade of supporters in carrying 92 boxes, one for each county, into the Indiana Election Division office. He boasts he collected nearly triple the required 45-hundred signatures.

Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana gov hopefuls get ready for ballot

As supporters crowded behind him, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Pence dropped off boxes containing 13,000 petition signatures to get himself onto the ballot for the Indiana governor’s race. That made him the first candidate to file for the governor’s race. “We’re going to have to have a governor that’s willing to stand up to the avalanche of federal red tape and government programs that are stifling our economy and stifling our growth,” he said.

WSCH 99.3 FM: Mike Pence Makes Gubernatorial Run Official

It was no surprise that Mike Pence would file to run for Indiana’s next governor.The current Sixth District Congressman has been campaigning and vocally promoting himself since announcing his intentions last May. What was a surprise, however, was the overwhelming number of petitions Pence brought with him to the Secretary of State’s Election Division office at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis on Monday.

Mike Pence, Indianapolis Business Journal, 1/21/2012

Question: One of Mitch Daniels’ first acts as governor in 2005 was to end collective bargaining for state employees and to start a system of merit pay. What is your policy regarding state employees, unions and merit pay?

Answer: Every day, thousands of dedicated Hoosier public servants go to work for the people of Indiana. There was a time when these state employees were maligned as nameless, faceless bureaucrats. In recent years, Indiana has made great strides toward changing that impression and improving state government.

The reforms of the public employee system by Gov. Mitch Daniels and the General Assembly have made government leaner and more efficient. As a result, productivity and performance are on the rise: Business permits are now processed faster and BMV wait times are down. We also have the fewest number of state employees since 1975.

Reforms like introducing performance metrics, merit-based pay and employee bonuses are a good start to achieving a state government where Hoosier taxpayers see a good return for their tax dollars.

To align state government to support the kind of private-sector job growth necessary to get unemployed Hoosiers back to work, Indiana needs the best employees possible. As governor, I will continue to reward state employees for good performance and continually look for ways to attract, train and retain top employees.

I have long supported providing greater freedom in the workplace. Since collective bargaining for state employees ended in 2005, it is no surprise that few state employees choose to pay union dues, or that 90 percent of state employees choose health care packages that offer more freedom for health decisions. These changes not only improved state government, but also helped Indiana modernize its work force and maintain a strong fiscal position.

Recent reforms were not limited to state employees. Indiana’s teachers previously had a system where seniority, not performance, determined pay and employment status.

When cutbacks were necessary, many promising teachers were laid off because they did not have seniority. As a result, our children lost out on a quality education. I’m thankful that we now have a system where we can attract, train, pay and retain the best teachers.

Despite the progress made, there is much work to do. Good ideas in government begin with great employees, and I want to give state employees more incentives for creativity. For example, in addition to the current pay for performance and other incentives, we should consider additional rewards for cost-saving ideas.

As governor, I also will work to offer competitive pension benefits. Today’s young, mobile work force sees little value in pension benefits that accrue only if they work for state government for a certain number of years. The General Assembly took a step in this direction in 2011 when it authorized a program where most new employees could opt completely into a defined contribution pension system. In the future, we will consider additional steps to modernize state employee pensions.

Finally, our private-sector employees need the same freedoms our public-sector employees enjoy. Economic freedom means jobs and economic freedom begins in the workplace. No Hoosier worker should be compelled to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. I applaud the efforts of Daniels and our leaders in the General Assembly on this issue and as governor I will work to ensure the economic freedom of every Hoosier worker.

For state government to serve the goal of supporting private-sector job growth, it needs an innovative, flexible work force that is positioned to meet the challenges of the future. With recent changes, we have the tools in place to begin to recruit such a work force. As governor, I will seek the best and brightest talent for state government and continually re-evaluate and reform the employee policies needed to recruit and retain them.•

By Mike Pence, Special to the Courier & Press, 1/15/2012

Across our state and nation, we remember the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and honor him with a national day of service. Although this is a day our national leaders have chosen for us to remember his legacy, our country would do well to remember his lesson of equality more often.

Dr. King’s lifetime of work and achievements are well known. From walking the dirt roads of the deep South to speaking to hundreds of thousands on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he touched the hearts of Americans and further instilled the concepts of civil rights, freedom and equality into our nation’s consciousness. What began as a movement became a way of life.

His views were based on faith and principle. His courageous actions drastically altered life in our country. I pray they live on in the hearts of every American.

I was reminded of this as I walked the streets of Selma, Ala., a few years ago with civil rights activist and fellow Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. Our family’s visit to Selma to commemorate the famous civil rights march formed an indelible impression on our hearts.

Congressman Lewis recounted the beatings he received from police during “Bloody Sunday” as he marched next to Dr. King across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge. As we walked arm-in-arm across that very same bridge, we gained an even greater appreciation for Dr. King and his legacy.

This legacy has come full circle. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the new memorial honoring Dr. King in Washington, D.C. Standing in the shadow of his likeness, I was reminded of the profound importance and impact of his life.

The memorial stands tall and is composed of several large boulders. The center section, from which Dr. King is sculpted, extends prominently forward into a plaza facing the Tidal Basin. Engraved on that center section are his words, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”

Dr. King fought against despair, injustice, inequality and prejudice. He brought hope to millions and the opportunity for a better life. For that, more than forty years after his death, Dr. King has rightfully been honored with a memorial in our nation’s capital.

But the real memorial to Dr. King will never be finished, for it resides in the hearts of every American who strives for a more perfect union. To commemorate this day, let us all rededicate ourselves to that cause which Dr. King so selflessly advanced, “that all men are created equal.” The devotion to equality that resides in the hearts of every American is the true legacy and most lasting memorial to the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Republic, 1/6/2012

Republican gubernatorial candidate and Columbus native Mike Pence said today that he believes Indiana can serve as a model for economic development efforts around the country.

He keeps returning to one idea.

“The term floating around in my mind is ‘Indiana’s moment,’” Pence, the U.S. representative for Indiana’s 6th District, said in a meeting with editors at The Republic.

Seizing that moment, he said, will require using Indiana’s brightest minds and resources at every level.

“I think because we have put our fiscal house in order, because we have the most forward-thinking education reforms that expand opportunities to our kids regardless of income or socioeconomic status, and because we’re leaning into the battle over jobs and economic freedom, I think Indiana could set the pace,” he said.

Pence met this morning in Columbus with Mayor Kristen Brown, who is completing her first week in office. He also was to meet today with new mayors in three other cities, in an effort to build relationships and let them know the resources available through his congressional office.

Warsaw Times-Union, Jennifer Peryam, 12/19/2011

LEESBURG – Indiana gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence spoke at Bishop Farms in Leesburg Saturday.

The event, titled “Christmas With Mike Pence”, was sponsored by Kosciusko Silent No More, Miami County Tea Party, Wabash C3, Whitley County Patriots, Whitley County TEA Party, DeKalb 912, Fort Wayne 912 and Elkhart County TEA Party.

Pat Miller, WOWO 1190 AM talk radio show host, served as emcee.

There were 300 people who attended the event at the farm of Bob and Waneta Bishop. Pence attended the event along with his wife, Karen, and son, Michael.

Pence is seeking the gubernatorial bid in the May primary. He faces Republican opponent Jim Wallace.
Pence said he is running to represent Indiana.

“I believe the state of Indiana is on the verge of an era of growth and opportunity like no other time in our lifetime,” Pence said.

He said Governor Mitch Daniels has balanced budgets, lowered taxes, improved the state of government and extended education opportunities.

However, Pence said the state can’t afford to stop that progress, and said thousands of Hoosiers are out of work.

He said if elected governor he will fight for every Hoosier job and to create educational opportunities.

“Right now Hoosiers are faced with an avalanche of regulations and taxes that threaten our freedom,” Pence said.

He said to get Indiana growing the state needs to be put first, and Washington must be said no to.

He said the financial crisis in Washington will not be solved by cutting spending, but taking action to permanently reduce the size of the federal government by restoring power to the state and people.

He said he will fight for every Hoosier to work, live and run schools without unnecessary government intrusion.

He will lead the fight against cap and trade and Obamacare until it is repealed.

“I have a vision for an even better Indiana built on focusing on goals of good jobs, great schools, safe streets and strong families,” Pence said.

He said the best stimulus plan is less taxes and red tape and more fiscal responsibility.

He said, if elected, he will cut taxes for working families, small businesses and family farms and encourage investment and growth.

Pence said no Hoosier should be compelled to join a union or pay dues as a condition of their employment. He said they should have the right to work on the terms and conditions of their choosing.

Pence also addressed the education topic.

He said education is a state and local function and the state does not need Washington to tell the states how to run its schools.

“I will look for ways to fund excellence in education and promote ways for every Hoosier child through more school choices and charter schools,” Pence said.

He said there has been a realization that the present crisis is not just economic and political, but moral.

WANE-TV, 12/18/2011

LEESBURG, Ind. (WANE) – Congressman Mike Pence was in Kosciusko County Saturday morning to talk about why he wants to be Indiana’s governor.

Eight area Tea Party groups put together the “Country Christmas” event and invited Congressman Pence to speak. He’s running in the Republican primary for a shot at the state’s top elected office.

“We’re excited to introduce him to northern Indiana and let him loose and let him talk about who he is and his voting record and what he stands for and what he wants to do for Indiana,” Monica Boyer, the president of Kosciusko County Silent No More, said.

After Pence spoke there was a question and answer period.

“It’s not just my love for this state, but my confidence in all of you that I stepped into this fight. I have the confidence in your character and courage to build a better Indiana,” Pence said to the Tea Party crowd.

Jim Wallace is also running in the Republican primary for governor. He’ll be in Fort Wayne on Monday to speak at a Conservative Breakfast Club meeting.

By Mike Pence, Indianapolis Business Journal, 12/10/2011

Over the past seven years, Indiana has made substantial progress in economic development and government reform, but our state is still facing a heartbreaking unemployment rate of 9 percent. More than 250,000 Hoosiers are struggling to find a job and even more have quit looking for work altogether.

In the months ahead, our campaign will articulate policies to confront this reality, but the priorities are clear.  The next governor of Indiana must make job creation “job one” of the incoming administration. If I am privileged to serve as governor, I will align all state government in support of private sector job growth.

To improve Indiana’s economy, we must first continue to live within our means. As governor, I will insist on balanced budgets without tax increases. I will protect Indiana’s AAA credit rating and fiscal reputation as of first importance. We cannot go back to the policies of the recent past that left our state $700 million in debt.

Fiscal restraint alone will not create jobs. After ensuring adequate reserves, as governor, I will promote tax relief and tax reform for working families, small businesses and family farms. By cutting and reforming taxes, Indiana can retain and attract even more investment and unleash the power of Hoosier entrepreneurs.

As governor, I will also lead the fight against measures that threaten our freedom and stifle our growth like cap and trade and ObamaCare. As we challenge barriers to our recovery from Washington, D.C., our next governor must also work to remove every barrier to job creation in Indiana.

Economic freedom means jobs and economic freedom begins in the workplace. No Hoosier worker should be compelled to join a union or pay dues as a condition of their employment. I applaud the efforts of our leaders in the Indiana General Assembly and as governor, I will work to ensure the economic freedom of every Hoosier worker.

To improve Indiana’s economy, we must continue to lead in education innovation and reform. We cannot succeed in the marketplace if we fail in the classroom. A competitive workforce is vital to Indiana’s traditional growth industries like manufacturing, logistics, agriculture and biotech.

As governor, I will protect and expand the recent reforms of our K-12 education system. I will fund excellence in education by empowering parents and teachers and expanding equality of opportunity for every Hoosier child through parental choice and charter schools until Indiana has the best schools in America.

Our next governor must also promote technical training for advanced manufacturing and other skilled trades. As governor, I will focus our state on giving unemployed Hoosiers the skills they need to get back to work and preparing tomorrow’s workforce for good-paying jobs.

Finally, to improve Indiana’s economy our state must strengthen Indiana’s families. The poverty rate for single-parent households is four times the poverty rate for two-parent families. As governor, I will look for ways to promote healthy families as a wellspring of economic stability and growth.

Our next administration must also find ways to meet our state’s growing energy demands, develop a plan for the state’s next generation of infrastructure, enhance commercialization of research and development in higher education and tell Indiana’s story to business leaders across the country and around the globe.

Despite our struggling economy, I am optimistic about Indiana’s future. Like most Hoosiers, I believe our state is on the verge of an era of growth like no other in our lifetime. With the right policies and leadership, Indiana can continue to be the best place in America to live, work, build a business and raise a family. Let’s get to work.

By Dan Spalding, Goshen News, 11/21/2011

GOSHEN — U.S. Rep. Mike Pence brought his gubernatorial campaign to Elkhart County Monday afternoon, promising his top priorities if elected would be jobs and education.

Pence, who’s been a Congressman since 1991, spoke at a crowded meet-and-greet event at Republican headquarters on Lincoln Avenue in downtown Goshen.

Pence is one of two Republican candidates seeking the nomination for governor. A Democrat and a Libertarian candidate are also trying to replace Gov. Mitch Daniels who cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

Pence spoke briefly and then fielded questions, many of which were of a national concern. In numerous cases, though, he took federal issues and gave it a state perspective.

An example of that came when somebody asked about the mortgage crisis and regulations concerning Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government sponsored mortgage lenders.

“I think the best housing program for Indiana is a good paying job,” Pence said. “As we go forward, our campaign is going to unpack in great details a jobs plan that is built on economic freedom. It’s not going to be built on more borrowing, spending and bailouts. It’s going to be built on allowing Hoosiers to keep more of their hard-earned dollars.”

Pence spoke about the importance of states’ rights and noted that he opposed No Child Left Behind, which was President Bush’s education program.

Parents should have the final decision in where their children go to school, he said.

“We’ll look for opportunities to expand that in fiscally responsible ways, I promise you that. Education is a state and local function. Washington D.C. can send us resources, but no more red tape, no more national testing,” Pence said to a round of loud applause. “We can solve whatever ails our schools in Indiana without the heavy hand of the federal government reaching down on us.”

Asked about right-to-work legislation, Pence said he was grateful to see Indiana lawmakers appear to be making “job creation” a top priority, saying he believed “economic prosperity and economic freedom are closely linked.”

“And that economic freedom begins in the workplace,” he added.

Other announced candidates running for governor include Republican businessman Jim Wallace, Libertarian Rupert Boneham and former State House Speaker John Gregg, a Democrat.

By Josh Weinhold, Elkhart Truth, 11/22/2011

GOSHEN — Mitch may have been Indiana’s man for the last seven years, but Mike wants to pick up where the current governor leaves off.

U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th, said he believes Gov. Mitch Daniels has built “a better Indiana” during his two terms in office, especially after 16 years of Democratic governors.

With state law limiting Daniels’ time as governor, Pence is running to succeed him in 2012. At a Monday campaign stop in Goshen, though, Pence emphasized that he’s also planning to build on the current governor’s legacy.

“It really is extraordinary. What Mitch Daniels has shown is that leadership matters,” Pence said at the Elkhart County GOP headquarters. “I’m running because I believe we can do even better.”
Pence, 52, a Columbus native who represents the eastern part of the state, said he will conduct a campaign based on fiscal responsibility, a pro-business growth agenda and education reform. Emphasis on those points, he said, will move Indiana even farther forward.

The state has a rare opportunity, he said, to be a shining example to the rest of America. Indiana has positioned itself to spring forward as the nation comes out of a long recession, Pence said.

“We can take Indiana places its never been before in my lifetime,” said Pence, the former chairman of the House Republican Conference. “Indiana can lead. Indiana can be a model state.”

Pence said his plan to increase jobs will be a key part of his campaign, and its aims will be based on economic freedom, drawing less tax money from citizens and allowing businesses to grow and expand.

He lauded Indiana General Assembly GOP leaders for making “job creation a top priority” by deciding to push right-to-work legislation in next year’s session. If passed, that law would prevent companies from negotiating with unions that require non-union members to pay for representation.

Education is something he discusses frequently on the campaign trail, too. Pence said he strongly supports parental choice over where children attend school, though he also wants to see federal success standards and national testing removed from the system.

Pence said he’s not only eager to return to full-time life in Indiana, but he hopes to return some of the state’s rights to it, as well.

If a Republican is elected president next year, Pence said he first wants to see that person repeal federal health care legislation passed under President Barack Obama, then see that person return Medicaid control to the states.

“If we write that program without the federal government,” he said, “we’ll do better.”