Mike Pence

Described as the most staunchly conservative vice-presidential nominee in modern history, Mike Pence served as a six-term congressman and the 50th Governor of Indiana before Donald Trump selected him as his Republican running mate for the 2016 Presidential election. Born in Columbus, IN in 1959, Pence first studied History at Hanover College and after graduating from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law began his professional career as a private practice attorney.

His first foray into politics came in 1988 when he unsuccessfully ran against Democrat Phil Sharp for a congressional seat, a result which was repeated two years later following a contentious campaign which saw Pence use donations to pay his mortgage and film a racially insensitive campaign video. Pence continued to practice law throughout the '90s while also pursuing a sideline in talk radio, hosting an eponymous show on Rushville's WRCR-FM in which he described himself as "Rush Limbaugh on decaf."

Pence resumed his political ambitions in 2000 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District. During his six-term tenure, Pence also ran a failed bid against John Boehner for the position of House minority leader in 2006, was elected the Republican Conference Chairman in 2009 and became an early advocate of the Tea Party movement.

He also established a reputation as a champion of Christian conservatism, opposing abortion, same-sex marriage, climate education and the closing of Guantanamo Bay while supporting the Iraq War Resolution, the flat federal tax rate, earmark reform, social security privatization and anti-immigration laws. In 2012 Pence defeated Democrat John R. Gregg and Libertarian Rupert Boneham to become the 50th Governor of Indiana.

In his three-year reign, he successfully lobbied for the largest tax cut in the state's history, limits in reducing sentencing of marijuana offenses and a $230m road funding package, maintained the state's right-to-work legislation and AAA credit ratings, and established a preschool pilot program. He also regularly courted controversy by signing bills which banned certain abortion procedures, discriminated against the LGBT community, restricted lawsuits against gun manufacturers, prevented Syrian refugees from resettling in the state, and legalized captive hunting, as well as announcing plans to launch a taxpayer-funded news service for Indiana named JustIN and clashing with members of his own party over his veto of a retroactive local tax.

Pence's stint as Governor ended in 2016 when despite previously endorsing Senator Ted Cruz in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries he was chosen by Donald Trump to become his vice presidential running mate. On November 8, 2016, Mike Pence was elected Vice-President of the United States.