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.”
by Eric Bradner, Evansville Courier & Press, 10/16/2011
If Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Pence is elected governor next year, he’s likely to find any allies he has on the local level useful. Those allies are what Pence is working to develop right now, in the lead-up to November’s municipal elections.
He’s campaigned in 55 of Indiana’s 92 counties this year, and has delivered keynote speeches at 35 Republican dinners. He’s headlined 16 fundraisers for candidates, and three more for local party committees.
Last year, Pence made multiple swings across Indiana on a bus tour supporting congressional and state legislative candidates.
State Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville, Rep. Ron Bacon, R-Chandler, and Rep. Sue Ellspermann, R-Ferdinand — all freshmen — were among the candidates for whom he campaigned.
“Mike Pence knows how important it is to elect strong Republican leadership at all levels of government,” said Kyle Robertson, his campaign manager.
Read the full story.
Candidate for Governor Raises More Than $400,000 for Local Candidates
Anderson, IN – The campaign of Indiana gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence today announced his efforts in support of local candidates across Indiana for municipal races in November. Pence raised more than $400,000 headlining events for municipal candidates across Indiana to help aid 2011 campaign efforts.
While traveling to 55 counties across Indiana, Pence’s efforts include:
- Headlining 16 fundraising events for candidates
- Raising money for three local party committees to help fund turnout efforts
- Keynoting more than 35 Lincoln and Reagan Day dinners and local party fundraising events
- Endorsing 26 candidates for mayor in key races
“To build an even better Indiana, we need to elect men and women of integrity, vision and competence at every level of government,” said Pence. “I am proud to stand with these great mayors and candidates from across Indiana. I urge every Hoosier to stand up for strong Republican leadership when they vote on Election Day this November.”
“Mike Pence knows how important it is to elect strong Republican leadership at all levels of government and we are excited to play a role in helping elect leaders who will continue to help build an even better Indiana,” said Kyle Robertson, campaign manager, Mike Pence for Indiana.
An excerpt from IN Legislative Insight
New additions to the gubernatorial campaign of U.S. Rep.
Mike Pence (R): Robyn Knecht, finance director for the
2010 Coats for Senate campaign and most recently deputy
finance director for U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (ROH),
joins the Pence effort as a senior staffer . . . and Bart
Lomont returns from Indiana National Guard service in
Afghanistan as a member of the Agribusiness Development
Team to join Team Pence as a field director. Lomont had
been the policy director for the Office of the Lieutenant
Governor for almost three years before his more recent
deployment more than one year ago.
By Brian Howey
U.S. Rep. Mike Pence drew about 60 people at a fundraiser in Kokomo for Republican mayoral candidate Scott Kern.
To get involved with Kern’s campaign for Kokomo mayor, visit http://scottkern.net/.
