In July 2016, Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump announced that he had chosen
Mike Pence to be his running mate.
Pence is
a staunch social conservative who is reportedly well-liked in Republican circles.
However in the public sphere, little is known about the Indiana governor.
The vice presidential debate was ostensibly our first glance into what Pence would be
like as second in command.
So who is Mike Pence?
Well, Mike Pence is an Indiana Republican who has been in public office since 2000,
most of that time in the House of Representatives.
Pence grew up in a small city just south of Indianapolis, where his father ran a chain
of gas stations.
As a child, Pence was an altar boy in a Catholic church, and even once considered becoming
a priest.
Today, Pence calls himself "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order".
But Pence never pursued the ministry.
Instead, he obtained a law degree and became a private attorney.
In 1988 and 1990, Pence ran for a congressional seat, losing in both elections to the incumbent
Democrat.
Both campaigns had bitter, personal attacks, including a TV ad featuring a man dressed
in Middle-Eastern garb, thanking Pence’s opponent for America’s dependence on foreign
oil.
After the losses, Pence wrote an essay titled “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner”
in which he admitted that his attacks were wrong, and stressed the importance of politicians
focusing on the issues.
After losing the elections, Pence started his own talk radio show, where he positioned
himself as level-headed conservative pundit, or as he called it “Rush Limbaugh on decaf”.
Pence once again ran for Congress in 2000, this time winning.
During his tenure, Pence voted against tax increases and big spending bills, and was
one of the early advocates of the Tea Party Movement.
Pence is best known for his part in a series of controversies regarding LGBT rights.
In Congress, he advocated for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, stating that homosexuality
is choice and that deterioration of the nuclear family would “lead to societal collapse”.
Pence became a household name in 2015, when, as Governor, he signed Indiana’s “religious
freedom bill”, which allows businesses-owners to refuse LGBT customers.
Critics called the law discriminatory, and after nationwide backlash, Pence signed a
gutted version of the bill, which included language saying it could not be used to purposely
discriminate.
However the amendment did not appease either side of the issue, and many say the crisis
painted Pence as weak.
This is one of many issues about which Trump and Pence don’t see eye to eye.
Trump, for example, has a history of supporting LGBT rights.
Other issues, like the Trans Pacific Partnership, and abortion are also sticking points for
the two.
In March 2016, Pence signed one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation, while Trump has
generally spoken out about being pro-choice, up until the 2016 election, when his stance
became muddled.
And although Pence has pushed for increased border security, he called Trump’s proposed
ban on Muslim immigration “offensive and unconstitutional.”
In the end, it’s unclear whether Pence is a smart addition to Trump’s ticket.
Experts say Pence’s staunch social conservatism could detract moderates and independents.
However his footing in Indiana and comparatively moderate demeanor could be just what Trump
needs to win the election.
So while Pence might be Trump’s golden bullet, how is Hillary Clinton’s running mate fairing
for her?
Just who is Tim Kaine, and what kind of a VP would he end up being?
Find out in this video.
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