Mike Pence Gears Up for Presidential Run as Supporters Launch Super PAC

Supporters of former Vice President Mike Pence are launching a new super PAC in preparation for Pence's expected challenge to former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.

Allies of the former vice president are expected to launch the "Committed to America" super PAC on Tuesday, signaling that Pence will announce a campaign modeled on the political stylings of former President Ronald Reagan in the coming weeks, according to a Monday report from the Associated Press (AP).

Tensions between Pence and Trump have been ramping up since the end of their working relationship in January 2021, with the former president repeatedly lashing out at Pence for failing to aid in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.

The pro-Pence super PAC will reportedly be co-chaired by former GOP Representative Jeb Hensarling, a close Pence ally, and long-serving Republican consultant Scott Reed, who previously served as the manager of Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign.

"The country's at a real crossroads and the Republican Party needs a strong conservative candidate who can win," Reed told AP. "Pence has the experience, the unparalleled character, communication skills and the conservative credentials to win both the nomination and a general election."

"People know Mike Pence, they just don't know him well," he added. "This campaign is going to reintroduce Mike Pence to the country as his own man, not as vice president, but as a true economic, social and national security conservative—a Reagan conservative."

Bobby Saparow, who managed the successful 2022 reelection campaign of Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, will serve as Committed to America's executive director. Like Pence, Kemp fell out of favor with Trump after failing to overturn the 2020 results. He defeated a Trump-endorsed challenger last year.

The timeline for Pence's expected entry into the 2024 race is unclear. However, the former vice president told CBS News last month that he would make a decision "well before late June."

Polls indicate that Trump, despite a recent cascade of legal troubles that have included his indictment on felony charges in New York, is far and away the leading candidate in the race for the 2024 GOP nomination.

An average of recent polls from RealClearPolitics finds Trump ahead by more than 34 points of his nearest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has not announced his candidacy but is widely expected to enter the race.

Pence is in a distant third place, being favored by around 6 or 7 percent of Republican voters in the majority of recent polls. While officially entering the race may boost his numbers, the chances of Pence defeating his old boss appear slim at the moment.

Newsweek has reached out via email to the offices of Pence and Trump for comment.