INDIANAPOLIS—Greg Pence, one of Mike Pence's older brothers, launched a campaign Wednesday for the eastern Indiana congressional seat that the vice president and former governor represented for 12 years.
A campaign announcement video touts Greg Pence as a Republican who believes in "fiscal responsibility, the sanctity of life" and "our Second Amendment rights."
"I'm going to fight to help (President) Donald Trump help our district," Greg Pence says in the video. "That's why I'm running for the United States Congress."
Pence, who once ran the family's now-bankrupt chain of Tobacco Road convenience stores, previously said he had been courted to run for the overwhelmingly Republican district. It covers a broad swath of central and southeastern Indiana, including Muncie and Columbus.
The district's current congressman, Republican Luke Messer, is running for Senate.
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As the vice president's brother, Pence is likely the hands-down favorite to win. He has a famous name, served in the Marines, owns an antiques business in the area and even bears a striking resemblance to his brother, with a close-cropped head of white hair.
It's likely he will also be able to tap into the same fundraising network his brother enjoyed in Indiana — if not nationally.
An IRS document for Greg Pence's political organization lists Craig Kunkle as its "custodian." Kunkle is chief operating officer of a firm called MO Strategies, which is led by the vice president's longtime aide and fundraiser Marty Obst, according to records kept by the Indiana Secretary of State's office.
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A spokesman for Greg Pence declined to comment Wednesday.
Bob Grand, a major Republican fundraiser and powerbroker in Indiana politics, told The Associated Press that Greg Pence is an ideal candidate.
"He starts off with good name ID. I think he has a tremendous advantage. But I think he'll also work hard," Grand said. "He can also raise a fair amount of money. A number of people that I'm aware of starting this afternoon have already reached out."
Greg Pence lives in Columbus, Indiana. That's the same town the family grew up in after the Pence's father, Edward, relocated from Chicago and later built a gas station empire.
