A Visit with Governor Mike and Karen Pence

Born in Indiana in 1959, Mike Pence attended Hanover College and the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. After losing two bids for a U.S. congressional seat, he became a conservative radio and TV talk show host in the 1990s. Pence successfully ran for Congress in 2000, rising to the powerful position of Republican conference chairman, before being elected governor of Indiana in 2012. In July 2016, he surfaced as the vice presidential running mate for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Pence describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order." Karen Pence earned a B.S. and M.S. in Elementary Education from Butler University and has been a teacher for over 25 years. Karen is the honorary chair of the Art Therapy Initiative at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis as well as a member of Riley Childrens Foundation Board. She also serves as a board member for Tracy's Kids; an art therapy program for several children's hospitals in Washington, D.C. Karen also created the Indiana First Ladys Charitable Foundation. The Foundation, organized in August of 2013, is a 501(c)3 whose purpose is to encourage and support youth and families of Indiana. Karen is an artist, specializing in watercolors of homes and historical buildings as well as being a small business owner. Mike and Karen Pence have been married since 1985. The couple has three adult children: Michael, Charlotte and Audrey.