Mike Pence 2024 presidential campaign facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike Pence for President |
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| Candidate | Mike Pence 48th Vice President of the United States (2017–2021) 50th Governor of Indiana (2013–2017) |
| Affiliation | Republican Party |
| Status | Suspended |
| Announced | Filed: June 5, 2023 Announced: June 7, 2023 |
| Suspended | October 28, 2023 |
The Mike Pence 2024 presidential campaign was his effort to become the next President of the United States. He officially started his campaign on June 5, 2023, by filing paperwork. Two days later, he publicly announced he was running. However, he decided to stop his campaign on October 28, 2023.
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Mike Pence's Journey to the Campaign
People started wondering if Mike Pence would run for president even when he was the Vice President of the United States. Some thought he might run in 2020 if Donald Trump didn't.
After leaving his role as Vice President, Pence started to express different views from Trump on some topics. For example, he disagreed with Trump's ideas about the 2020 election results. He also gave speeches in important states where presidential candidates often start their campaigns.
Supporting Other Candidates
Pence also supported different candidates in some Republican primary elections. This meant he didn't always back the same person Trump supported. For instance, in the race for governor of Georgia, Pence supported Brian Kemp. Trump, however, supported David Perdue. Kemp won easily, showing Pence's influence.
Pence also supported Karrin Taylor Robson in Arizona and Rebecca Kleefisch in Wisconsin for governor. Trump supported different candidates in those races.
Speaking Out
In October 2022, Pence spoke about "unprincipled populism" in the Republican Party. Populism is a political idea that supports the rights and powers of ordinary people against a small group of powerful people.
In November, Pence was asked if he would support Trump's 2024 campaign. He said, "I think we’ll have better choices." This showed he was thinking about running himself.
In 2023, Pence openly criticized Trump about the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Pence said Trump was wrong to suggest he could overturn the election results. He also said Trump's words put him, his family, and others at the Capitol in danger. These statements were seen as a sign that Pence was getting ready to announce his own presidential campaign.
The Campaign Begins
On June 5, 2023, Mike Pence officially became a candidate by filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). He announced his campaign two days later, on his 64th birthday.
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Visiting Ukraine
On June 29, 2023, Pence traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was the first Republican presidential candidate for 2024 to visit the country. Pence said that the United States needed to give the Ukrainian military what they needed to fight against Russia.
Economic Plan
On July 26, Pence shared his plan to help the economy. He wanted to lower high inflation and save the U.S. $1.2 trillion. Inflation is when prices for goods and services go up, and money buys less. Pence said his plan would cut government spending and make the U.S. a strong energy producer again.
Campaign Ad and Speech
In August, Pence posted a campaign ad where he talked about gas prices. He criticized President Biden's energy policies. The ad got a lot of attention and some people made fun of it on social media.
On September 6, Pence gave an important speech at Saint Anselm College. He called his speech "Populism vs. Conservatism: Republicans’ Time for Choosing." He warned that the Republican Party could change a lot if a "new populism" took over. He wanted voters to choose a path that would determine the future of the party and the country.
In October, Pence spoke at Georgetown University. He said that if Russia was not stopped in Ukraine, China might try to invade Taiwan. He warned that if countries redraw borders by force, the future could be like the early 1900s, which had many conflicts.
Raising Money for the Campaign
In July 2023, Pence's campaign announced it had raised about $3.85 million. This amount was less than what many of his Republican rivals had raised.
To help raise money and meet debate requirements, Pence's campaign sold t-shirts and hats that said "Too honest." This was a reference to a phone call where Trump reportedly called Pence "too honest" for not rejecting votes in the 2020 election.
The campaign also asked for small donations, sometimes as little as $1, to reach the goal of 40,000 unique donors needed to qualify for the first Republican debate. After the first debate, Pence raised $250,000 at one event.
By the end of September, Pence had raised $3.3 million in three months. However, he also had $620,000 in debt, and he even gave $150,000 of his own money to the campaign. His fundraising numbers were lower than other top candidates like Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley.
Presidential Debates
Presidential debates are public discussions where candidates answer questions and share their views.
First Debate
Pence was one of eight candidates who participated in the first Republican presidential debate on August 23, 2023. Before the debate, he said he would just "be himself."
Many news outlets said Pence did well in the debate. The Hill newspaper even called him one of the winners. BBC News ranked him as the second-best performer. Reporters from Politico also had positive things to say about his performance.
Second Debate
Pence also appeared in the second Republican presidential debate on September 27. Most of the candidates from the first debate returned. Trump decided not to attend this debate either. Pence said Trump's absence was "a missed opportunity" for voters.
Some news reports felt that Pence's performance in the second debate was not as strong as his first. They suggested he didn't do enough to highlight his strengths as a conservative leader.
Campaign Ends
Mike Pence surprised many people when he announced he was leaving the presidential race on October 28, 2023. He made the announcement at a meeting in Las Vegas.
Pence explained his decision by saying, "It’s become clear to me: This is not my time." Many of the other candidates running for president, like Asa Hutchinson, Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Doug Burgum, and Chris Christie, sent him good wishes after his announcement.
