Mike Pence 2024 presidential campaign participant Mike Pence
The Mike Pence 2024 presidential campaign was formally launched on June 5, 2023 when Mike Pence filed paperwork to launch his entry into the 2024 United States presidential election. He formally announced his candidacy two days later.Background
In October 2021, polls of Republicans regarding their preferred presidential candidate in 2024 implied that Pence could begin a campaign as a top-tier candidate if former president Trump were to forgo a run. At the same time, this polling suggested a precipitous decline in Pence's polling numbers in the event that Trump were to seek to reclaim the White House. In light of this, there was a widespread view among both Republican leaders and grassroots Republicans that "Pence is dead in the early waters of 2024."In May 2022, The New York Times reported that Pence was considering a presidential run regardless of whether Trump decided to run for a second term. Since leaving the vice presidency, Pence had distanced himself from Trump's attempts to cast doubt on the 2020 presidential election and made high-profile speeches in early nominating states. Pence also separated himself from Trump by endorsing candidates in several Republican primary elections in opposition to the candidate endorsed by Trump. In the primary for governor of Georgia, Pence endorsed incumbent governor Brian Kemp over the Trump-backed candidate, former senator David Perdue. This was described as "a proxy battle" between Pence and Trump, with Pence's candidate Kemp winning the nomination easily. In the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, Pence endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson while Trump endorsed Kari Lake. In the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election Pence endorsed former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch; Trump supported businessman Tim Michels.In October 2022, Pence condemned "unprincipled populism" and "Putin apologists" in the Republican Party. In December 2022, Pence was reported to have filed paperwork to run for president in the 2024 United States presidential election against Trump in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries. It was later reported that the filing did not occur.In 2023, Pence criticized Trump, especially regarding the events that took place on January 6, 2021. While speaking at a Gridiron dinner, an event attended by politicians and journalists, Pence said that Trump was wrong to suggest that Pence had a right to overturn the election results. Pence went further, saying that Trump's words not only endangered him, but his family and everyone at the Capitol. Much of the rhetoric was believed to be a lead-up to Pence's potential run for the Republican nomination heading into the 2024 election.