After weeks of speculation, former Vice President Mike Pence has confirmed the rumors: he’s running for president. Pence filed paperwork on Monday declaring his candidacy and setting himself up for an ugly primary campaign against his former boss, Donald Trump. Pence, who has consistently polled in the single digits, stayed steadfastly loyal to Trump throughout his chaotic presidency—until Trump expressed support for Capitol rioters who wanted to hang Pence for refusing to overturn the 2020 election results. Pence, who mingled with voters in Iowa over the weekend at Sen. Joni Ernst’s Roast and Ride event, will launch his campaign on Wednesday in Des Moines, according to The New York Times. The state is a place where his “hard-line conservative positions on issues like abortion could appeal to evangelical voters,” the Times reported.
