Governor Mike Pence this evening will officially announce his reelection bid at the state Republican Party’s spring fundraising dinner.
While Pence had flirted with the idea of running for higher office – mentioned often by pundits as a potential presidential contender– controversies surrounding the near-creation of a state-run news service and his handling of the religious freedom law submarined that chance. Instead, Pence will seek to become the sixth Indiana governor to win reelection; since 1972, only one sitting governor – Joe Kernan, who assumed the role when Frank O’Bannon died – has failed to win.
The governor is currently unopposed in the GOP primary while three Democrats are vying for the right to challenge Pence next year: former House Speaker John Gregg, who ran against Pence in 2012, State Superintendent Glenda Ritz, and State Senator Karen Tallian. Democrats are planning their own statement for the governor’s announcement – a protest outside the event in Indianapolis.
