Exclusive: 'No place like home,' Karen Pence says of moving back to Indiana
Maureen GroppeWASHINGTON – Former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, no longer have to dream about the moonlight on the Wabash.
They are “Back Home Again in Indiana.”
The Pences, who had been renting a house in suburban Virginia after leaving office in January, purchased a home north of Indianapolis, a spokeswoman told USA TODAY.
They are moving in this weekend, providing the native Hoosier a chance to launch a potential bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination from his home state.
“There’s no place like home and Indiana is home,” Karen Pence said in a statement provided exclusively to USA TODAY.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
The Pences were not made available for an interview.
In her statement, Karen Pence said the longtime Indy500 fans are especially excited to have made the move before race weekend, which traditionally includes a performance of “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” during the pre-race ceremonies.
“When I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash, then I long for my Indiana home,” race fans sing about the state river.
Her spokeswoman declined to identify the exact location of the home but said it comes with some land and a pond.
It is not in Mike Pence’s former congressional district, which is now represented by his brother, Greg Pence.
The two-story house has plenty of room for visits from their three adult children, their spouses, and the first grand baby, who arrived in March. Avery Grace Pence is the daughter of the Pences' oldest child, Michael, a Marine Corps officer.
Military mom, teacher, pet lover:What to know about Second lady Karen Pence
The Pences kept a house in Columbus, Indiana, when he moved his family to Virginia after being elected to Congress in 2000. After Pence was elected governor in 2012, they sold that house and moved into the governor’s mansion in Indianapolis.
For the last four years, the Pences lived in the vice presidential residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory.
Karen Pence said she and her husband are “looking forward to spending more time with our large extended family and reconnecting with friends we have known all our lives.”
Mike Pence will have offices in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., for Advancing American Freedom, an advocacy organization he recently launched to “build on the success of the last four years” by promoting traditional conservative values and the policies of the Trump administration. The group has run web ads featuring Pence on issues such as border security.
The former vice president is also expected to be active in the 2022 midterm elections, though hasn’t said whether he will run for president in 2024.
He made public and private political appearances in South Carolina and Texas this month, even as former President Donald Trump continues to trash talk Pence for not blocking Congress from accepting the 2020 election results.
2024?:Mike Pence looks at the 2024 presidential race but sees Donald Trump everywhere
Upcoming memoir:Former Vice President Mike Pence signs double book deal
The first of two books he’s contracted to write for Simon & Schuster is tentatively scheduled for publication in 2023.
Pence is also a distinguished visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington.
In April, Pence underwent surgery to implant a pacemaker after experiencing “symptoms associated with a slow heart rate.”
Both Pences have signed on with Worldwide Speakers Group.
Karen Pence, who just completed a 30-year career as an art teacher, is not currently teaching. She hopes to do some writing, along with the speaking engagements, according to a spokeswoman.
When the couple flew to Columbus shortly after attending President Joe Biden’s inauguration, Mike Pence appeared to hold back tears and his voice cracked as he thanked supporters and the audio system played “(Back Home Again) in Indiana.” He said he’d promised Karen they would move back to Indiana “come this summer.”
Now that the promise has been kept, Karen Pence said it “truly is great to be `back home again in Indiana.’”
