Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who was the running mate of former President Donald Trump, officially announced his candidacy for the next presidential election on the 7th (local time).
On the same day, Pence released a video declaring his candidacy for next year's election through Fox News and Twitter, stating, "Different times require different leaders." Although he did not directly mention former President Trump, he repeatedly emphasized the need for a new leader by highlighting "a stronger and more prosperous America." Major foreign media pointed out that it is rare in U.S. history for a former president and vice president, who once worked together, to run against each other in a presidential race.
Pence began his first campaign activities in Iowa on the same day and will also attend a CNN town hall meeting. Earlier, Pence's team submitted his candidacy documents to the Federal Election Commission on the 5th.
So far, the Republican candidates who have declared their bids include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, U.S. Senator Tim Scott, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. According to Ipsos, as of last month, Pence's approval rating stands at only 5%. In the same survey, former President Trump ranked first with 49%.
Pence, who was a strong running mate of former President Trump, began to distance himself from Trump following the January 6 Capitol riot. On January 6, 2020, when presiding over the joint session of Congress to officially certify President Joe Biden's election victory, Pence refused Trump's "order" to not certify and overturn the election results. Since then, he has raised critical voices on issues that orthodox conservatives oppose, such as LGBTQ rights, and has responded with a strategy to rally conservative supporters by touring America's Christian evangelical churches.
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