V21, 45 Thursday, July 28, 2016 Holcomb faces time, money gauntlet over U.S. Reps. GOP nominee must staff Susan Brooks up, unbind the Pence and Todd Rokita on the first funds and form a ticket ballot, Politico reported that a By BRIAN A. HOWEY main stanchion INDIANAPOLIS – If there was an for the Holcomb understatement enunciated on Tuesday nomination, when Indiana’s sensational political cycle having access reached another apex on a cascading to Gov. Mike range, it was newly minted Republican Pence’s $7.4 gubernatorial nominee Eric Holcomb million cam- saying, “This year, as many of you know, paign fund, has taken many wasn’t com- twists and turns pletely correct. and I am ready And as Hol- to take this next comb, Brooks call and lead us and Rokita to victory.” He made their preceded that cases before observation by saying, “We’ve got work the committee, Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb reacts to his nomination Tuesday as U.S. Rep. to do and a short time to get there.” this dilemma Susan Brooks looks on. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) Just minutes after Holcomb won didn’t come up, a second-ballot nomination by the Indi- ana Republican Central Committee, after leading 11-9-2 Continued on page 3 Pence’s unique history By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence will occupy a unique perch in the pantheon of modern Indiana governors. Since the Indiana Constitution was changed to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms, Pence will “Russia, if you’re listening, be the elected “one-termer” in a group of seven to have served I hope you’re able to find the in the era. He could be only the 30,000 emails that are missing. second governor to move up the political food chain and into the If Russia, China or any other federal executive branch, join- ing Doc Bowen who served as country has those emails, I mean secretary of Health and Human to be honest with you, I’d love to Services, but that is a verdict to be determined in November. see them.” Other governors in this - Donald Trump era advanced in other arenas, Page 2 with Mitch Daniels taking the presi- often seen as a key argument for a dency at Purdue University, Robert Orr presidential bid. becoming ambassador to Singapore, So why was the Pence reelect and Evan Bayh joining the U.S. Sen- under such duress? Gene Ulm, the ate for two terms. Should there be a Public Opinion Strategies pollster for Vice President Pence, it would come WTHR/Howey Politics Indiana, said of 100 years after Gov. Thomas Marshall Pence’s 49-45% lead over Gregg in served in that office, 131 years after April (with a 44/40% approve/disap- Gov. Thomas A. Hendricks was elected prove), “Indiana should be a slam to the office, and 28 years after the dunk for Republicans. But you have Howey Politics Indiana last Hoosier, Dan Quayle, ascended. an incumbent governor polling at 49 WWHowey Media, LLC 405 The difference between Pence, Hen- percent for all the reasons you know, Massachusetts Ave., Suite dricks and Marshall is 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 that the two Democrats weren’t forced by law to www.howeypolitics.com give up their gubernato- rial nominations to seek Brian A. Howey, Publisher the vice presidency. Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington He could have Jack E. Howey, Editor been the second sitting governor to lose a race, Mary Lou Howey, Editor joining Gov. Joe Kernan, Maureen Hayden, Statehouse but that is a situation Mark Curry, Randy Gentry that will go unresolved in photography history. Pence led Demo- Gov. Mike Pence listens to Donald Trump’s acceptance Subscriptions crat John Gregg in every speech last Thursday in Cleveland. (HPI Photo by Randy independent poll taken Gentry) HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 during the 2016 cycle, but HPI Weekly, $350 he was ominously lodged in the lower against a Democratic nominee un- Ray Volpe, Account Manager 40th percentile in most head-to-heads known to half the voters. This is an up 317.602.3620 with Gregg, and his reelect stood at or down vote on Pence. That’s what’s 36%. driving it.” email: [email protected] Pence framed his reelection The reasons “we all know” Contact HPI bid around economic development, is that after conspicuously avoiding [email protected] citing the 147,000 private sector job virtually any discussion of divisive so- Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 additions since 2013, and a jobless cial issues during his 2012 campaign rate that fell by more than 3% under with Gregg, Pence’s evangelical allies Washington: 202.256.5822 his watch. He would often proclaim led him into the HJR-3 constitutional Business Office: 317.602.3620 the most employed Hoosiers in the marriage debate in 2014, the Religious state’s 200-year history. In 2015, he Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, © 2016, Howey Politics observed that more than $3 billion and the HEA1337 abortion law this Indiana. All rights reserved. had been invested by Indiana busi- year. Pence didn’t initiate any of these nesses during that year alone, with controversies as governor, but he ac- Photocopying, Internet forward- the total figure during his term cer- quiesced on RFRA and HEA1337 with ing, faxing or reproducing in tainly north of $5 billion. bad staff work and disastrous optics any form, whole or part, is a Pence would cite his “larg- and criticism. The RFRA episode, and violation of federal law without est tax cut in Indiana history.” The his dodgy defense of the law on ABC’s permission from the publisher. state’s corporate income tax rate has “This Week” in late March 2015, for all been steadily decreasing, standing at intensive purposes ended any notion 6.25% and destined to 4.9% by 2021, of his own presidential bid in 2016. the year he would have exited had he He also persistently locked won reelection in November. Pence horns with Democratic Supt. Glenda expanded school choice, creating the Ritz, angering the sprawling educa- nation’s most robust voucher program, tion networks that fueled her upset and invested $800 million in roads and of Supt. Tony Bennett in 2012. That bridges. He ended Common Core, the network was poised for reactivation “first governor” to do so, and that was this November. Page 3 Essentially, Pence became the most polarizing gov- 30,000 emails. He then said this: “Honestly, I wish I had ernor in modern Indiana history, which was ironic given his that power. I’d love to have that power.” That’s a state- sunny, upbeat personality. All of his television age prede- ment that would make a Watergate burglar blush. cessors had emerged from the mainstream and centrist or Pence found himself rebuking his running mate, business wings of their parties. There wasn’t an ideologue saying, “The FBI will get to the bottom of who is behind or radical until Pence came along. the hacking. If it is Russia and they are interfering in our Donald Trump threw Pence a political lifeline. elections, I can assure you both parties and the United Even though his RFRA “fix” signing created problems on States government will ensure there are serious conse- his political right, Pence’s squeaky clean background and quences.” his general good standing with national social conserva- Chilling. tives, as well as the Capitol Hill relationships he has with Part of Pence’s success has been his discipline heavyweights like House Speaker Paul Ryan, made him as a stay-on-message politician. Google “Mike Pence” and an attractive vice presidential contender. His RNC speech “crazy quotes” and all you find are talking points, a much last week was a resounding success, stroking all of those different proposition than doing so with Trump, Ted Cruz constituencies. Pence’s reelection tribulations were mere or Chris Christie. It made Pence predictable. Most mem- footnotes in the national media and hardly disqualifying. bers of the Indiana Statehouse press corps can easily But Pence is now at a tipping point in his recite his points. A conversation with Pence came inside career. His relationship with Trump has been erratic from a form, with topic restrictions and time allotments much the start, with the presidential nominee vacillating on the like the last presidentially ambitious governor (Evan Bayh). Pence selection in the hours after Mike and Karen Pence Governors without such ambition lead to much more inter- boarded the flight to Teterboro. Long seen as a principled esting conversations on a wide range of topics. conservative, unlike Trump who has been all over the map As one Indiana Republican Central Committee on an array of issues, Pence is now changing his positions. member observed, the Pence vice presidential nomination Trump’s Muslim ban, which Pence originally termed “offen- is like “a baseball trade that was good for both teams.” sive” and “unconstitutional” now has his imprimatur. After So at this writing, it could be either Vice President Trump’s Wednesday night air kiss, after Pence’s ringing Pence, or he could be poised for the dustbin of failed vice acceptance speech, the presidential nominee followed up presidential nominees (i.e. William Miller, Geraldine Fer- a night later by calling for LGBT rights. As governor, Pence raro, Jack Kemp, Dan Quayle, Joe Lieberman) who never blocked such civil rights expansions. He has remained resonated as presidential candidates. Pence could get a mute on the issue thus far, but it almost certainly will come Fox News show. He could challenge U.S.