Pence Will Run For Second Term

Indiana’s Republican Party chairman Monday announced Gov. Mike Pence will make a bid for a second term.  The incumbent could face a tougher test than he did in 2012.

A Pence run for reelection wasn’t always considered a lock as the Hoosier governor had been mentioned – sometimes prominently – as a 2016 presidential contender. But in the wake of controversy surrounding what was perceived as the creation of a state news agency along with backlash from the religious freedom act, talk of a run for national office all but disappeared. 

The day after the legislative session ended, though Pence wouldn’t confirm his reelection bid, he noted he’d been preparing a second run for governor since he was elected. 

In two years in office, Pence signed into law hundreds of millions in tax cuts, took the lead in establishing a state-funded preschool pilot program, and enacted healthcare expansion for 300,000 uninsured Hoosiers through his HIP 2.0 program.  Yet, in addition to the aforementioned controversies, the governor’s critics charge that his so-called bold visions often fall short of expectations. 

On Pence’s side is recent history - it’s been 40 years since an Indiana governor wasn’t elected to consecutive terms, when Edgar Whitcomb opted not to run for reelection.  The governor will formally announce his reelection run June 18 at the state GOP spring dinner.