Pence opts out of White House bid

by Ben Kamisar - 05/19/15 6:47 PM ET

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) has bowed out of a potential bid for president in 2016 and will instead run for reelection, his spokesperson confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday.

The news comes after the Indiana Republican Party first shared the news with the Indianapolis Star on Monday night.

“Gov. Mike Pence is a conservative leader and dedicated public servant who always puts Indiana first,” Indiana Republican Party Chairman Jeff Cardwell told the Star.

{mosads}”We are excited the governor will formally announce his plans to seek re-election during our annual Spring Dinner, and we look forward to hearing his ideas for the future of our great state.”

That decision means he won’t seek the presidency, as Indiana law prohibits a candidate from running for two offices at the same time. State lawmakers had weighed a bill that would remove the restriction, but it did not receive a vote.

Pence served twelve years in the House of Representatives, including a two-year stint as head of the House Republican Conference, one of the top slots in the party’s leadership.

He’s been seen as a potential dark-horse candidate for president in 2016 and briefly flirted with a bid in 2012.

He faced significant criticism in March for his decision to sign the state’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which some critics warned sanctioned discrimination if it is based in religious belief.

Pence repeatedly chastised critics and the media for mischaracterizing the law, but eventually backed down and asked the legislature to fix the bill to ensure it would not allow for discrimination. He signed that updated measure in April.

– Jonathan Easley contributed.

Tags Mike Pence