Here's what you need to know about him:
1. Yes, he's that guy from the last year's religious freedom debate
...he became a household name when he signed a religious freedom bill into law in 2015. Pence said it would extend legal protections to religious Indiana business owners who don't want to participate in same sex weddings — but opponents argued he was sanctioning discrimination.
2. He's a social conservative
Pence is a devout evangelical Christian who regularly talks about his faith. (He likes describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.") This spring, Pence signed into law one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation. Indiana is now the second state in the nation to ban abortions because the fetus has a disability, a law likely to be challenged in court.
3. He's facing a competitive reelection race
At least: he was. Pence will have to drop out of his reelection bid now if he becomes Trump's vice presidential nominee — which may be a good thing for him, given the religious freedom debate did Pence no favors in his reelection bid.
4. He was an early advocate for the tea party movement
One of Pence's former advisers told NBC that even before the 2010 summer of discontent between conservatives and the establishment, Pence was tuned into the populist strain of the party. While in Congress, he voted against big spending bills that the tea party would come to loathe.
5. He endorsed Ted Cruz for president
6. Paul Ryan likes him
And before he came to Congress, Pence hosted a talk radio show, calling himself "Rush Limbaugh on decaf."
7. He once challenged John Boehner for his party's leadership spot in the House
Pence may have harbored dreams of being House speaker himself. In 2006, while Republicans were still in the minority, Pence decided to run for the leader of the party against a guy named John Boehner. It didn't go so well. Pence, who positioned himself as the conservative in the race, lost in a vote among fellow House Republicans 168-27.
8. He's long been viewed as a potential presidential candidate
In 2010, conservative activists at a Values Voter Summit voted Pence their top choice for a 2012 presidential candidate, a key test of grassroots support (but not one that's necessarily indicative of success). Interestingly, Pence's 2016 veep competition, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was also on that straw poll and came in fourth.
Pence's name was floated in 2008 too as a potential presidential contender. Pence decided to stay in Indiana and run for governor, where he eked out a win against Gregg.
9. He's got ties to the Koch brothers
The billionaire brothers have so far stayed out of the presidential race, a sign they're no fans of Trump. But their 2016 involvement could change with Pence by Trump's side: The resumes of several of Pence's top aides also include stints with the Koch brothers' vast corporate and political networks.
10. He grew up as a Democrat
And idolizing John F. Kennedy. Pence told CBN News in a 2010 interview "It may be that I grew up in a big Irish Catholic family like he did. Maybe it was that my grandparents were so proud of the first Irish Catholic president." He even still has a box of Kennedy paraphernalia.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...p’s-likely-running-mate/ar-BBukO1v?li=BBnb7Kz
1. Yes, he's that guy from the last year's religious freedom debate
...he became a household name when he signed a religious freedom bill into law in 2015. Pence said it would extend legal protections to religious Indiana business owners who don't want to participate in same sex weddings — but opponents argued he was sanctioning discrimination.
2. He's a social conservative
Pence is a devout evangelical Christian who regularly talks about his faith. (He likes describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.") This spring, Pence signed into law one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation. Indiana is now the second state in the nation to ban abortions because the fetus has a disability, a law likely to be challenged in court.
3. He's facing a competitive reelection race
At least: he was. Pence will have to drop out of his reelection bid now if he becomes Trump's vice presidential nominee — which may be a good thing for him, given the religious freedom debate did Pence no favors in his reelection bid.
4. He was an early advocate for the tea party movement
One of Pence's former advisers told NBC that even before the 2010 summer of discontent between conservatives and the establishment, Pence was tuned into the populist strain of the party. While in Congress, he voted against big spending bills that the tea party would come to loathe.
5. He endorsed Ted Cruz for president
6. Paul Ryan likes him
And before he came to Congress, Pence hosted a talk radio show, calling himself "Rush Limbaugh on decaf."
7. He once challenged John Boehner for his party's leadership spot in the House
Pence may have harbored dreams of being House speaker himself. In 2006, while Republicans were still in the minority, Pence decided to run for the leader of the party against a guy named John Boehner. It didn't go so well. Pence, who positioned himself as the conservative in the race, lost in a vote among fellow House Republicans 168-27.
8. He's long been viewed as a potential presidential candidate
In 2010, conservative activists at a Values Voter Summit voted Pence their top choice for a 2012 presidential candidate, a key test of grassroots support (but not one that's necessarily indicative of success). Interestingly, Pence's 2016 veep competition, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was also on that straw poll and came in fourth.
Pence's name was floated in 2008 too as a potential presidential contender. Pence decided to stay in Indiana and run for governor, where he eked out a win against Gregg.
9. He's got ties to the Koch brothers
The billionaire brothers have so far stayed out of the presidential race, a sign they're no fans of Trump. But their 2016 involvement could change with Pence by Trump's side: The resumes of several of Pence's top aides also include stints with the Koch brothers' vast corporate and political networks.
10. He grew up as a Democrat
And idolizing John F. Kennedy. Pence told CBN News in a 2010 interview "It may be that I grew up in a big Irish Catholic family like he did. Maybe it was that my grandparents were so proud of the first Irish Catholic president." He even still has a box of Kennedy paraphernalia.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...p’s-likely-running-mate/ar-BBukO1v?li=BBnb7Kz
