Eric Holcomb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric Holcomb
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| 51st Governor of Indiana | |
| In office January 9, 2017 – January 13, 2025 |
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| Lieutenant | Suzanne Crouch |
| Preceded by | Mike Pence |
| Succeeded by | Mike Braun |
| 51st Lieutenant Governor of Indiana | |
| In office March 3, 2016 – January 9, 2017 |
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| Governor | Mike Pence |
| Preceded by | Sue Ellspermann |
| Succeeded by | Suzanne Crouch |
| Chair of the Indiana Republican Party | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – July 22, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | J. Murray Clark |
| Succeeded by | Tim Berry |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eric Joseph Holcomb
May 2, 1968 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Janet Holcomb |
| Education | Hanover College (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1990–1996 |
Eric Joseph Holcomb (born May 2, 1968) is an American politician. He served as the 51st governor of Indiana from 2017 to 2025. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Before becoming governor, he was the 51st lieutenant governor of Indiana. He served under Governor Mike Pence from 2016 to 2017. Mike Pence later became the vice president of the United States. Holcomb was chosen to finish the term of Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann after she left office.
In 2016, Holcomb won the election for governor against Democratic candidate John R. Gregg. He was reelected in 2020, defeating Woody Myers and Donald Rainwater.
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Early Life and Education
Eric Holcomb was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He went to Pike High School in Indianapolis. In 1990, he graduated from Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. While at Hanover, he was part of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and was its president.
Holcomb served in the United States Navy for six years. He worked as an intelligence officer, which means he gathered and analyzed important information. He was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, and in Lisbon, Portugal. Later, he received honorary degrees from Trine University and Anderson University.
Early Political Career
Holcomb started his political career in 1997. He worked for John Hostettler, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2000, Holcomb tried to get elected to the Indiana House of Representatives, but he did not win.
From 2003 to 2011, Holcomb was an advisor to Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. He eventually became the Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff. He also managed Daniels's campaign for governor in 2008. In 2011, he became the Chairman of the Indiana Republican Party.
In 2013, Holcomb left that role to work for U.S. Senator Dan Coats. He was Senator Coats's chief of staff in Indiana. In 2015, Senator Coats announced he would not run for reelection. Holcomb then planned to run for the Senate seat himself. However, in February 2016, he decided not to run for the Senate.
Governor of Indiana (2017–2025)
Becoming Governor
In 2016, Governor Mike Pence was running for reelection. Eric Holcomb was his running mate for lieutenant governor. In July 2016, Donald Trump chose Mike Pence to be his running mate for president. This meant Pence left the race for governor of Indiana. Holcomb then decided to run for governor instead.
The Indiana State Republican Central Committee chose Holcomb as their candidate. He won against other strong candidates like Susan Brooks and Todd Rokita. Holcomb chose Indiana State Auditor Suzanne Crouch as his running mate.
They ran against John R. Gregg, the Democratic candidate, and his running mate, Christina Hale. After a short campaign, Holcomb won the election. He received 51.4% of the votes, while Gregg received 45.4%.
Reelection in 2020
Holcomb was reelected as governor in 2020. He defeated former state health commissioner Woody Myers. Holcomb received 57% of the votes. This was the most votes ever for a governor in Indiana history.
First Term as Governor
After winning the election, Governor Holcomb announced his plans for Indiana. He called his plan the "Next Level Agenda." It focused on five main goals:
- Making Indiana's economy stronger and more diverse.
- Improving Indiana's roads and other important structures (infrastructure).
- Making education and job training better.
- Improving public health and fighting addiction.
- Providing excellent government services that are a good value for taxpayers.
Holcomb also said that being polite and respectful (civility) was important for achieving these goals.
Early in his first term, Holcomb took several important actions. He pardoned Keith Cooper, a man who had been wrongly convicted and spent eight years in prison. He also declared a disaster emergency at a polluted site in East Chicago.
In April 2017, the Indiana legislature approved Holcomb's plan to raise fuel taxes and car registration fees. This money was used to pay for road maintenance and construction. This law started on July 1, 2017. It was expected to raise about $1.2 billion each year for roads.
In 2019, Holcomb's approval rating rose to 50%. This showed that many people approved of his work as governor.
There was a report in November 2019 about a worker fatality case involving Amazon. Holcomb's office denied claims that he pressured an investigator to drop the case. The case was eventually reclassified.
In July 2020, Holcomb issued a statewide order requiring people to wear face masks. This was to help stop the spread of illness. Some people disagreed with this order, saying only the legislature could make such laws. However, in June 2022, the Indiana Supreme Court supported Holcomb's actions. The court said that the governor has the power to call special sessions and that the legislature had overstepped its authority in trying to limit the governor's power.
Second Term as Governor
Eric Holcomb began his second term as governor on January 11, 2021.
In March 2022, Holcomb vetoed a bill that would have stopped transgender girls from playing in state-sanctioned girls' sports. He said the bill would likely face legal challenges and was not a pressing concern. However, the legislature later voted to override his veto, making the bill a law.
Holcomb called a special session to discuss tax rebates because of rising prices. He signed a bill into law that allowed these rebates.
In August 2022, Holcomb led a group to Taiwan to improve economic ties between Taiwan and Indiana. The group also visited South Korea. This visit happened during a time of increased tension between the U.S. and China. In September 2024, Holcomb visited Ukraine. He signed agreements for academic, agricultural, and cultural partnerships. He was the first U.S. governor to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
In 2024, Holcomb announced plans to restart executions in Indiana. On December 18, 2024, Joseph Edward Corcoran was executed. This was the first execution in Indiana since 2009.
Personal Life
Eric Holcomb's wife, Janet, runs a family business in Madison County, Indiana. They do not have children. They owned a miniature schnauzer dog named Henry Holcomb, who was known as the "First Dog of Indiana."
Images for kids
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Results of the 2016 Indiana gubernatorial election; Holcomb won the counties in red.
See also
In Spanish: Eric Holcomb para niños
