Greg Pence

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Greg Pence
Greg Pence, official portrait, 116th Congress.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 6th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byLuke Messer
Personal details
Born
Gregory Joseph Pence

(1956-11-14) November 14, 1956 (age 63)
Columbus, Indiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Denise Pence
Children4
RelativesMike Pence (brother)
Karen Pence (sister-in-law)
Charlotte Pence (niece)
EducationLoyola University Chicago (BA, MBA)
WebsiteHouse website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Marine Corps
Years of service1979–1984

Gregory Joseph Pence (born November 14, 1956) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Indiana's 6th congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he is the older brother of United States Vice President Mike Pence, who represented the district from 2003 to 2013.

Early life[edit]

Born in Columbus, Indiana on November 14, 1956,[1] Pence is the oldest of six children born to his parents, Nancy and Ed.[2][3] According to his mother, Pence and his three brothers rode wagons in a 1964 campaign parade for Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.[4]

Pence earned a B.A. in theology and philosophy and a Master of Business Administration in 1983 from Loyola University Chicago.[5][6] He earned a commission in the Marines in 1979 after receiving his undergraduate degree and served for five and a half years, rising to the rank of first lieutenant.[7][6] In 1983, his battalion was stationed in Beirut, Lebanon and shipped out shortly before the bombings.[8]

Business career[edit]

Pence owns and operates antique malls in southern Indiana.

After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, Pence joined Kiel Brothers Oil Company in 1988, after his father died, and served as its president from 1998 to 2004. After his departure, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2004.[7] Through the company, he had also run a chain of gas stations and convenience stores.[9][10]

According to some reports, the cleanup from the defunct business sites has cost Indiana at least $21 million.[11] Pence also worked for Marathon Oil and Unocal. In 1999, he was elected to the board of directors of Home Federal Bancorp and its subsidiary Home Federal Savings Bank.[6][12]

U.S. House of Representatives[edit]

Greg Pence standing behind Donald Trump at the 2017 inauguration

Elections[edit]

2018 general election[edit]

Pence was the finance chairman in U.S. House representative Luke Messer's 2018 campaign for the U.S. Senate.[10] In October 2017, Pence launched his own campaign for the position Messer was leaving.[13] On May 8, 2018, Pence won the Republican nomination for the U.S. House seat his brother Mike had held for twelve years. With Pence raising and spending about a million dollars as of mid-April and his closest Republican challenger loaning himself about three quarters of that amount, it made the "race the most expensive in the state." Pence faced Democrat Jeannine Lake in the November general election and won with over a 30 percent margin.[9]

Tenure[edit]

Committee assignments[edit]

Caucus memberships[edit]

Electoral history[edit]

Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Pence 47,955 65.3
Republican Jonathan Lamb 17,523 23.9
Republican Mike Campbell 3,229 4.4
Republican Stephen MacKenzie 2,500 3.4
Republican Jeff Smith 2,258 3.1
Total votes 73,465 100.0
Indiana's 6th congressional district, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Pence 154,260 63.8
Democratic Jeannine Lee Lake 79,430 32.9
Libertarian Tom Ferkinhoff 8,030 3.3
Independent John Miller (write-in) 5 0.0
Independent Heather Leigh Meloy (write-in) 1 0.0
Total votes 241,726 100.0
Republican hold

Personal life[edit]

Pence and his wife, Denise, own two antique malls.[12] They have four children – Nicole, Lauren, Emily, and John – and six grandchildren.[14]

Denise was an Indiana delegate at the 2016 Republican National Convention and cast her vote for Donald Trump and Mike Pence to be the party's nominees.[2] Pence and his family were in attendance at the Inauguration of Donald Trump, seated several rows behind the incoming president. Their oldest daughter, Nicole, was a TV anchor in Indianapolis[15] and their son, John, was working for the Trump 2020 Campaign as a senior advisor as of February 2020.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Where they stand Q&A: Greg Pence". Daily Reporter. April 13, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Pitrelli, Adrianna (October 6, 2017). "VP's sister-in-law on life since the election". WTHR. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "Mike Pence photo gallery". The Republic. January 20, 2017. slides 8, 12, 32. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  4. ^ Webber, Mark (November 1, 2016). "Pence family hosts Edinburgh rally". The Republic. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  5. ^ "About Greg". Greg Pence for Congress. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c "Home Federal Bancorp Elects New Director". Business Wire. December 21, 1999. Retrieved May 9, 2018 – via The Free Library.
  7. ^ a b Tackett, Michael (April 22, 2018). "As Another Pence Runs for Congress, His Business Record Raises Questions". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  8. ^ Thomas, Ken (October 23, 2017). "Pence honors memory of Marines killed in 1983 Beirut bombing". The Times of Israel. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Chamberlain, Samuel (May 8, 2018). "Greg Pence wins GOP nomination for House seat once held by brother Mike Pence". Fox News. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Pathé, Simone (August 16, 2017). "Could There Soon Be Another Pence in Washington?". Roll Call. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  11. ^ Slodysko, Brian (July 13, 2018). "Pence family's failed gas stations cost taxpayers $20M+". Associated Press. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Pathé, Simone (April 18, 2018). "Inside the Antique Mall That's Greg Pence's Largest Asset". Roll Call. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  13. ^ Slodysko, Brian (October 18, 2017). "Mike Pence's brother Greg launches run for Indiana U.S. House seat". Washington Times. Associated Press. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  14. ^ Johannesen, Kirk (February 9, 2018). "Candidate discusses Republican concerns with party leaders, including Second Amendment rights, aid for veterans". The Republic. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  15. ^ Ariens, Chris (March 8, 2017). "Nicole Pence, Niece of VP Mike Pence, Leaving TV News". TV Spy. AdWeek. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  16. ^ "John Pence". Fox News. Retrieved February 4, 2020.

External links[edit]

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Luke Messer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 6th congressional district

2019–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Chris Pappas
United States Representatives by seniority
395h
Succeeded by
Dean Phillips