What to know about former vice president and Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence

This is part of a series on the 2024 presidential candidates.

Michael R. Pence was born in Columbus, Indiana, to a Roman Catholic family, on June 7, 1959.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Hanover College and later attended Indiana University School of Law.

Pence left the Catholic Church in college to become an evangelical Christian.

Pence has three children with his wife, Karen Pence, who he met at church.

Pence was a practicing lawyer and hosted a conservative syndicated talk radio show and television show in the 1990s.

After two failed bids to Congress, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and served six terms.

In 2013, he was inaugurated as the 50th governor of Indiana and served for one term -- leaving his gubernatorial re-election campaign in 2016 when the Trump campaign tapped him to be his running mate.

As governor, Pence made education reform one of his top legislative priorities. He signed into law the state’s first funding for prekindergarten education.

While serving as governor, he stirred nationwide controversy over his state’s Religious Freedom law, seen by many as targeting the LGBTQ community.

In 2016, Pence was elected the 48th vice president of the United States, serving one term alongside former President Donald Trump.

As vice president, Pence certified the 2020 election after rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in a deadly insurrection.

In June 2023, Pence announced he was joining the Republican race for president, running against his former running mate.