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“Would you think of another campaign, in all seriousness?” one of the co-panelists asked. Pence smiled and dodged directly answering—but in a way that only fueled more speculation.
“Gee, look at the time, Steve. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. I want to keep faith with these things that I know have always made the country strong and prosperous and free. And we’ll let the future take care of itself,” he replied.
That cryptic response was enough to set political observers buzzing about whether Pence is preparing to re-enter the fray in 2028.
A Rocky 2024 Run
Pence officially launched his 2024 presidential campaign on June 7, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa—becoming the first vice president in modern history to challenge the president he once served. But his campaign failed to catch fire.
Polling never broke above two percent nationally, and his fundraising lagged far behind top contenders. Pence pulled in $4.5 million in his best quarter, compared to Trump’s staggering $45 million haul and Ron DeSantis’s $15 million.
From the start, Pence walked a tightrope—trying to present himself as the steady moral conservative in a field still dominated by Trump’s populist energy. His decision to certify the 2020 election results, despite Trump’s demands, left him a pariah among the MAGA base.
“I had no right to overturn the election, and President Trump was wrong to suggest I did,” Pence said repeatedly, defending his actions on January 6.
At the second GOP debate in September 2023, he once again drew a hard line. “I will not bow to pressure to abandon my principles, even from those I once served,” he said, cementing his image as a man of conscience—though one largely ignored by primary voters.
The Long Road to 2028
By late 2023, Pence suspended his campaign before the Iowa caucuses, acknowledging the obvious: the base wasn’t with him. Yet his recent remarks suggest he isn’t done. With the political winds shifting and Trump-era dynamics evolving, Pence may be betting that time—and distance—could restore his standing among traditional conservatives.
Still, the road ahead looks steep. Polls for 2028 already show current Vice President JD Vance as the GOP’s frontrunner, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Marco Rubio close behind. Pence, once again, sits at the bottom—barely registering above two percent.
But as his Erie comments made clear, Mike Pence is still guided by conviction, not polls. His message to the audience—“We must resist the temptation to trade principle for power”—sounded like both a sermon and a campaign slogan in waiting.
If 2028 does mark another run, Pence’s next campaign will test whether America still has room for a politician who would rather stand on principle than bend for applause.
