Mike Pence is an American politician. He is the 50th and current Governor of Indiana, and Vice President-elect of the United States. He is scheduled to take office as the 48th Vice President on January 20, 2017. Born and raised in Columbus, Indiana, Pence graduated from Hanover College and earned a law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law before entering private practice. After losing two bids for a U.S. congressional seat in 1988 and 1990, he became a conservative radio and television talk show host from 1994 to 1999. Pence was elected to the United States Congress in 2000 and represented Indiana's 2nd congressional district and Indiana's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. He served as the chairman of the House Republican Conference from 2009 to 2011. Pence positioned himself as a principled ideologue and supporter of the Tea Party movement, noting he was "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order." Since Pence became the governor of Indiana on January 20, 2013, he has implemented the largest tax cut in Indiana's history, pushed for more funding for education initiatives, and continued to increase the state's budget surplus. Pence signed bills intended to restrict abortions, including one that prohibited abortions if the reason for the procedure was the fetus's race, gender, or disability. Pence also stirred several high-profile controversies and after signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Pence encountered fierce resistance from moderate members of his party, the business community, and LGBT advocates. He was forced to sign an additional bill acting as an amendment intended to protect LGBT people. On November 8, 2016, Pence was elected as Vice President, after he dropped out of his gubernatorial re-election campaign in July to become the vice presidential running mate for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who went on to win the presidential election.