Mike Pence formally announces presidential run

Former Vice President Mike Pence kicked off his campaign from Iowa on Wednesday. “Different times call for different leadership,” he said in a video launching his campaign. He is the first vice president to run against his former running mate since 1800 when then-Vice President Thomas Jefferson challenged incumbent President John Adams. Pence was a Congressman from 2001 to 2013, then became the governor of Indiana, serving until 2017. Former president Donald Trump picked him as his running mate in July 2016. 

What other GOP candidates have recently announced campaigns? Pence’s announcement brings the number of GOP candidates to ten. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is also expected to launch his run for the Republican nomination on Wednesday in his hometown of Fargo. He’s a former computer software entrepreneur, and he’s expected to campaign in Iowa on Thursday and Friday. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about whether the expanding field of GOP candidates will help Trump.