Steve Pence

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Stephen B. Pence (born in Louisville, Kentucky on December 22, 1953) is a former Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He took office with fellow Republican Ernie Fletcher in December 2003.

Pence received BS (1976) and MBA (1978) degrees from Eastern Kentucky University, and a law degree from the University of Kentucky in 1981.

After law school, Pence worked as an assistant attorney general of Kentucky from 1981-1982. From 1982-1987 he served active duty in the JAG Corps and was stationed in the Federal Republic of Germany. He continues to serve as a Colonel (Military Judge) in the United States Army Reserve JAG Corps. Later became partner with the Pedley, Zielke, Gordinier and Pence law firm (1995-2001).

Pence was appointed by President George W. Bush as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky and was confirmed to this position on September 24, 2001.

On May 31, 2006, just a few weeks after Fletcher had been indicted on charges relating to the practices of hiring, promoting, and firing based on political affiliation, Pence he announced that he would not run for re-election with Fletcher in 2007, had no plans for any other elective office, and would no longer serve as Secretary of the Justice & Public Safety Cabinet. ^[1] Less than two weeks later Fletcher accelerated Pence's departure from the Justice Cabinet and named Kentucky National Guard Adjutant General Norman Arflack as Pence's replacement. Fletcher also asked Pence to resign from his role of lieutenant governor, but Pence refused, indicating that he serves as an elected representative of the people. Although Pence maintained that he did not separate himself from Fletcher's re-election effort in order to run for public office himself, there was speculation that he has not ruled out the possibility at some point in the future. In June 2006, Governor Fletcher announced that Robert "Robbie" Rudolph, secretary of the state Finance Cabinet, would be his running mate in his 2007 re-election campaign. As momentum for Kentucky's gubernatorial race began to build, Pence announced in January 2007 that he would not be a candidate for governor, and planned to return to the practice of law once his term of office ended. On February 25, 2007, Pence formally endorsed former Congresswoman Anne Northup over Fletcher in the 2007 governors race. ^[2]

Pence is married to the former Ruth Ann Cox, a practicing attorney in Louisville, Kentucky. Pence has five children.

In April 2008, Pence was as one of the initial 38 inductees into the Doss High School Hall of Fame.

[edit] References

1. ^ Lieutenant Governor Drops Off 2007 Ticket Jay Diyzer, WHAS-TV Louisville, KY, May 31, 2006
2. ^ "Pence endorses Northup for governor", The Courier-Journal, February 26, 2007.