Michael Richard "Mike" Pence was born June 7, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana. He attended Columbus North High School, graduated from Hanover College in 1981, and received his J.D. degree from Indiana University in 1986. After unsuccessful campaigns for the House of Representatives in 1988 and 1990, Pence became president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation. In 2000 he ran successfully for the House of Representatives and was then re-elected for five terms.

Pence served on the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and on its subcommittees on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, and Livestock and Agriculture, from 2001 to 2006. He served on the Science Committee and its subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics from 2001 to 2002, and on the Committee on International Relations (renamed Foreign Affairs in 2007) from 2003 to 2012, serving on the subcommittees on International Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Human Rights in 2003-2004; on Oversight and Investigation in 2005-2006, and on The Middle East and Central Asia (renamed Middle East and South Asia in 2007) from 2003 to 2008, of which he became vice-chair in 2011-2012. He also served on the Judiciary Committee from 2003 to 2008 and from 2011 to 2012, serving on its subcommittees on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property in 2003-2006 and on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet in 2011-2012; on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in 2003-2006; on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in 2007-2008; and on The Constitution in 2011-2012 as vice-chair. He was chair of the House Republican Conference from 2009-2011.

In 2012 he was elected governor of Indiana.

In July 2016 he was selected as the Vice Presidential candidate by presumptive GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump. In November 2016, Donald Trump was elected 45th President of the United States, making Mike Pence the Vice President-elect; both served in office from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021.