Eric Holcomb facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eric Holcomb
51st Governor of Indiana
In office January 9, 2017 – January 13, 2025
Lieutenant	Suzanne Crouch
Preceded by	Mike Pence
Succeeded by	Mike Braun
51st Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
In office March 3, 2016 – January 9, 2017
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
Preceded by	J. Murray Clark
Succeeded by	Tim Berry
Personal details
Born	Eric Joseph Holcomb (1968-05-02) May 2, 1968 (age 57) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Janet Holcomb ​ (m. 2000)​
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 in that role from 2016 to 2017 under Governor Mike Pence. Governor Pence later became the Vice President of the United States. Holcomb was chosen to finish the term of Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann when she resigned. He won the election for governor in 2016 and was reelected in 2020.

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 College, he joined a fraternity called Phi Gamma Delta. He was also the president of his fraternity chapter. After college, Holcomb served in the United States Navy for six years. He was stationed in places like Naval Station Great Lakes, Florida, and Portugal. He has also received several honorary degrees from different universities.

Early Political Career

Holcomb as Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, 2016

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 ran for a seat in the Indiana House of Representatives but was not elected.

From 2003 to 2011, Holcomb worked as an advisor for Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. He eventually became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Daniels. He also managed Daniels's campaign for governor in 2008. In 2011, he became the Chairman of the Indiana Republican Party.

In 2013, he left that role to work for U.S. Senator Dan Coats. Senator Coats announced in 2015 that he would not run for reelection. Holcomb then planned to run for the Senate seat himself. However, he later decided not to run in February 2016.

After Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann resigned, Governor Mike Pence chose Holcomb to take her place. Holcomb also became Pence's running mate for the 2016 election. He officially became lieutenant governor on March 3, 2016.

Governor of Indiana (2017–2025)

Becoming Governor

2016 Election

Results of the 2016 Indiana gubernatorial election; Holcomb won the counties in red.

In 2016, Governor Mike Pence was running for reelection with Eric Holcomb as his running mate. However, Mike Pence was chosen to be the running mate for presidential candidate Donald Trump. This meant Pence withdrew from the Indiana governor's race.

Holcomb then decided to run for governor himself. The Indiana State Republican Central Committee chose him as their candidate. He won against other candidates like Rep. Susan Brooks and Rep. Todd Rokita.

Holcomb chose Indiana State Auditor Suzanne Crouch as his running mate. They ran against John R. Gregg, the Democratic candidate. After a short campaign, Holcomb won the election with 51.4% of the votes.

2020 Election

Holcomb was reelected as governor in 2020. He won against Woody Myers, the Democratic candidate, with 57% of the votes. He received the most votes for governor in Indiana's history.

First Term as Governor

After winning the 2016 election, Governor Holcomb announced his plans. He called his agenda the "Next Level Agenda." It focused on five main goals for Indiana. These goals included making Indiana's economy stronger and improving roads and bridges. He also wanted to improve education and job training. Other goals were to improve public health. Finally, he aimed to provide good government services at a fair cost.

Holcomb also worked to address environmental issues at a site in East Chicago.

Holcomb at a gubernatorial debate

In April 2017, the Indiana legislature approved Holcomb's plan to raise fuel taxes. These funds were used to improve Indiana's roads and build new ones. This law was expected to raise a lot of money each year for infrastructure projects.

In November 2020, Holcomb announced he would appoint Karrah Herring as the Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity Officer. Her job was to help make state government more diverse and welcoming for everyone. She worked in his team until January 2025.

Second Term as Governor

Holcomb at his second inauguration

Governor Holcomb began his second term on January 11, 2021.

In March 2022, Holcomb vetoed a bill that would have prevented transgender girls from playing in girls' sports. He believed the bill might not hold up in court. However, the legislature later voted to pass the bill into law despite his veto. In 2023, he signed other bills related to transgender care and discussions in schools.

In August 2022, Holcomb led a group to Taiwan to strengthen economic ties. The group also visited South Korea. 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 conflict began.

Personal Life

Eric Holcomb is married to Janet Holcomb. Janet runs a family business in Madison County, Indiana. They do not have children. They used to have a miniature schnauzer dog named Henry Holcomb. Henry was known as the "First Dog of Indiana."

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Eric Holcomb para niños