Pence to Launch Campaign in Iowa 6/7   06/01 06:06

   Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially launch his long-expected 
campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Iowa next week, adding 
another candidate to the growing GOP field and putting him in direct 
competition with his former boss.

   NEW YORK (AP) -- Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially launch his 
long-expected campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Iowa next 
week, adding another candidate to the growing GOP field and putting him in 
direct competition with his former boss.

   Pence will hold a kickoff event in Des Moines on June 7, the date of his 
64th birthday, according to two people familiar with his plans who spoke on 
condition of anonymity to share details ahead of the official announcement. He 
is also expected to release a video message that morning as part of the launch.

   The decision to begin his campaign in Iowa instead of his home state of 
Indiana underscores the importance Pence's team is placing on the early-voting 
state. They see Iowa as critical to Pence's potential path to victory and hope 
his message will resonate with the evangelical Christian voters who make up a 
substantial portion of the state's Republican electorate. Pence is an avowed 
social conservative and is staunchly opposed to abortion rights, favoring a 
national ban.

   Advisers say he plans to campaign aggressively in the state, hitting every 
one of its 99 counties before the caucuses next year.

   The campaign is expected to lean heavily on town halls and retail stops -- 
including plenty of visits to Iowa's famed Pizza Ranch chain -- aimed at 
showcasing Pence's personality and background as he tries to emerge from former 
President Donald Trump 's shadow.

   While Pence is well-known by Republican voters, aides believe he needs to 
reintroduce himself to voters who only know him from his time as Trump's 
second-in-command. Pence, who served for more than a decade in Congress and as 
Indiana's governor before he was tapped as Trump's running mate in 2016, had 
been an exceedingly loyal vice president until he broke with Trump over the 
2020 election.

   Trump, desperate to overturn his loss and remain in power, had tried to 
convince Pence -- and his supporters -- that Pence could somehow reject voters' 
will as he presided over the ceremonial counting of the Electoral College votes 
on Jan. 6, 2021, even though the vice president has no such power. As the count 
was underway, a violent mob of Trump's supporters stormed the building, 
smashing through windows, assailing police and sending Pence, his family and 
his staff racing for cover as members of the mob chanted, "Hang Mike Pence!"

   Pence has said Trump's "reckless words" endangered his family and everyone 
else who was at the Capitol that day. He has said "history will hold Donald 
Trump accountable."

   "For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well," 
Pence wrote in his book, "So Help Me God."

   Pence has spent the 2 1/2 years since then strategically distancing himself 
from Trump as he has laid the groundwork for the campaign. While he 
consistently praises the record of the "Trump-Pence administration," he has 
also stressed differences between the two men, on both policy and style.

   He has called on his party to move on from Trump's election grievances, 
warned against the growing tide of populism in the Republican Party, and 
admonished "Putin apologists" unwilling to stand up to the Russian leader over 
his assault on Ukraine, in a dig at Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is 
running a distant second to Trump in the polls.

   He has also argued in favor of cuts to programs like Social Security and 
Medicare -- which both Trump and DeSantis have vowed not to touch -- and 
criticized DeSantis for his escalating feud with Disney.

   Pence also testified last month before a federal grand jury investigating 
efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

   Pence has spent months visiting early voting states, delivering policy 
speeches, speaking at churches and courting donors as he has tested the waters 
on a presidential run. Allies had launched a super PAC earlier this month that 
will focus on building a paid ground operation to get people out to vote.

   The week will be a busy one for GOP announcements. Former New Jersey Gov. 
Chris Christie is planning to launch his campaign Tuesday evening at a town 
hall event in New Hampshire and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will announce his 
own bid on June 7 in Fargo.

   Pence is expected to travel to New Hampshire and North Carolina later in the 
week.