Indiana Gov. Mike Pence definitely won’t run for president in 2016, according to multiple reports.
This seemed like a foregone conclusion after Pence indicated he would run for re-election as governor next year. Indiana law prevents candidates from appearing on the state ballot for two offices simultaneously and a legislative fix has stalled. But the door was finally closed Tuesday.
Pence had many characteristics that made people think of him as a strong presidential contender. As governor of a state won by Barack Obama in 2008, he has executive experience. Pence also knows Capitol Hill after five terms in Congress, where he chaired the conservative Republican Study Committee and ultimately the House Republican Conference. He is an evangelical Christian who voted against some of the biggest budget-busting spending items of the George W. Bush years.
But Pence has struggled in recent months, triggering boycotts of Indiana with his support of a state Religious Freedom Restoration Act critics deemed anti-gay and then eliciting the scorn of social conservatives when he backed down in the fight.
Pence was also mocked for proposing a taxpayer-funded state news service, an idea that was quickly shelved. Meanwhile, the Republican presidential field quickly filled with candidates appealing to evangelicals and conservatives. He wasn’t included in RealClearPolitics polling average and was removed from the Washington Post’s list of ten potential GOP nominees in April.
The governor is expected to formally announce his re-election bid in June.
