Former US Vice President, Mike Pence will publicly launch his presidential campaign on June 7 with a rally in Des Moines.
Pence has been widely expected to launch a run for the Republican nomination and has been working on his presidential campaign for months.
He has made regular visits to Iowa and is set to appear at U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s annual Roast and Ride fundraiser this weekend, joining more than a half-dozen other presidential candidates, before his official launch.
The decision to announce the campaign with a rally in Des Moines reflects Iowa’s importance in determining the future direction of the Republican Party, the source said.
During a May 24 event in Ottumwa, Pence acknowledged Iowa’s “outsized role in shaping our nation’s leadership.”
“I honestly think that the choice that we will make for a standard bearer in our party has maybe never been more important,” Pence told the crowd of a few dozen Wapello County Republicans. “I do believe different times call for different leadership.
Pence plans to campaign heavily in Iowa, focusing on retail politics where he can introduce himself to voters and talk with them about his faith and his values. He plans to campaign in all 99 Iowa counties, the source said.
The former vice president joins a growing field of GOP hopefuls including his old boss former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is also expected to join the race next week.
Pence, who hails from Indiana, has been teasing a 2024 presidential bid for months and he is expected to be at Sen. Joni Ernst’s upcoming Roast & Ride event this weekend.
He served for 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and for four years in Indiana as the state’s governor.