Southern Republican Leadership Conference

Mike Pence was born in Columbus, Indiana, graduated from Hanover College in 1981 and earned his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1986.

Following graduation from law school, Pence ran for Congress in 1988 and 1990. In 1991, he was named president of a conservative state think tank based in Fort Wayne, Indiana known as the Indiana Policy Review Foundation.

Pence began his career in radio broadcasting in 1992 and two years later, Network Indiana syndicated his show throughout the state of Indiana. “The Mike Pence Show” aired Monday through Friday on 18 stations. He also hosted a Sunday morning political television show in Indianapolis from 1995-1999.

Pence was first elected to Congress in 2000 and was most recently elected to a fifth term in November of 2008. He also was elected unanimously by House Republicans to serve as House Republican Conference Chairman in November 2008. In his role as Conference Chairman, he helps to develop and disseminate the message of the Republican Conference and to promote its Members.

Congressman Pence describes himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.”

Congressman Pence and his wife Karen have three children and reside in Columbus, Indiana. The Pence family lives in Arlington, Virginia, while Congress is in session.

Conservative Leader

During the 109th Congress, Congressman Pence served as Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee. The Republican Study Committee is the largest caucus in the House of Representatives; membership grew to 110 House Republicans under his leadership, and has been the leading voice for advancing conservative social and economic issues in Congress since the mid-1980s.

Congressman Pence has emerged as a national spokesman for conservative principles. In March of 2005, The Washington Post described Pence as “A New Face on Conservatism” observing, “he delivered conservative opinions with the even tones and polite demeanor of his Midwest upbringing.” In November 2005, Business Week described Pence as a “new power broker” and syndicated columnist George Will singled out Pence and Governor Mitch Daniels’ brand of conservatism as the “wave of the future.” Peggy Noonan has complimented Pence on his ability to maintain an upbeat attitude even in a partisan environment, quoting him as saying “I’m a conservative, but I’m not in a bad mood about it.” An April 2006 profile in U.S. News and World Report said Pence “has emerged as a powerful force, moving Congress further to the right.”

Pence’s role as a conservative leader has been profiled in The Chicago Tribune, Business Week, the Weekly Standard, U.S. News and World Report and The New York Times. He appears regularly on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. Pence also appears weekly on Indiana’s most prominent talk radio stations.

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Michael S. Steele was elected Chairman of the Republican National Committee on January 30, 2009. As Chairman Mr. Steele is setting a new direction for the Republican Party – actively engaging Americans in their local communities and empowering state and local Republican organizations to do the same.

A self-described “Lincoln Republican,” Mr. Steele earned a place in history in 2003 when he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, becoming the first African-American elected to statewide office in the state.

An expert on political strategy and election reform, he most recently served as Chairman of GOPAC, and also held posts on the National Federal Election Reform Commission and the NAACP Blue Ribbon Commission on Election Reform.

Mr. Steele’s experiences as a successful elected conservative African-American Republican and his engaging speaking style have launched him into national prominence. His first major exposure was during an appearance at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Since then, President George W. Bush selected Steele to be part of the U.S. delegation to the investiture of Pope Benedict XVI, and a member of the Presidential Delegation to the Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII in Tanzania.

Mr. Steele’s ability as a communicator and political analyst have been showcased through his roles as a contributor on the Fox News Channel and regular host of the Salem Radio Network’s nationally syndicated Morning in America Show.  Additionally, Mr. Steele is an entertaining and eloquent guest on cable political talk shows such as HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher and Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.

A corporate finance attorney, Mr. Steele founded his own company, The Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm.  His writings on law, business and politics have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, Politico.com, Townhall.com, and The Journal of International Security Affairs, among others.

Born in 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Mr. Steele was raised in Washington, DC. He spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood, but, ultimately, chose a career in law instead. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991.

Mr. Steele serves on the Administrative Board of the Maryland Catholic Conference and is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Landover Hills, MD, where he attends mass regularly with his wife Andrea and their two sons.

Mr. Santorum served as United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007 and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995.

He founded the Congressional Working Group on Religious Freedom and spearheaded the passage of several key pieces of legislation. From 2001 to 2007, he served as Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, where he directed the communications operations of Senate Republicans and was the third-ranking member of the Republican leadership.

Rick Santorum is currently a Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, established and directs EPPC’s Program to Protect America’s Freedom. He is writing a book on the “gathering storm” of the 21st century — the challenges posed by radical Islamic fascism and its growing alliances around the world. In 2005, he authored “It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good.”

Tim Pawlenty is regarded as one of the nation’s most innovative, energetic, reform-minded and accomplished governors.  Now serving his second term as the 39th governor of Minnesota, Governor Pawlenty has brought increased accountability to state government, held the line on taxes, improved K-12 education standards and made Minnesota a leader in energy reform.

As Governor, he has balanced Minnesota’s budget three times without raising taxes, despite facing record budget deficits.  Governor Pawlenty’s most notable accomplishments include proposing and signing into law significant new benefits for veterans and members of the military; enacting a property tax cap, eliminating the marriage penalty and cutting taxes; toughening the state’s education standards; reforming the way teachers are paid through a nation-leading performance pay plan; instituting free-market health care reforms that increase accountability and provide tax credits to encourage the use of health savings accounts; and implementing a plan to Americanize our energy sources by generating 25% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

Under Governor Pawlenty’s leadership, Minnesota leads the nation in a variety of measures.  Minnesota ranks first among states in Fortune 500 companies per capita, first in overall quality of life, first in homeownership, first in percentage of residents with a high school diploma, and first in residents over 25 with a bachelors degree.  Minnesota has the highest average ACT scores in the nation and is among the “Healthiest States in America.”

Sonny Perdue was sworn in as Georgia’s 81st Governor on January 13, 2003. Governor Perdue immediately went to work reforming the state budget, setting priorities, and cutting wasteful spending. His efforts helped stimulate the economy and turn the state budget deficit that he inherited in to a substantial surplus. The Governor then invested in his top priorities and got results. During Perdue’s first term, Georgia created over 200,000 new jobs and posted the highest graduation rate and SAT scores in state history. After a first term marked by numerous accomplishments, Governor Perdue won re-election by an overwhelming margin in November 2006.

As Georgia’s Governor, Perdue has led the state based on his life experiences prior to entering public service. Sonny was born on December 20, 1946, in Perry, Georgia, to a lifelong farmer and a classroom teacher. He graduated from Warner Robins High School and earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1971 from the University of Georgia. Following his service as a Captain in the United States Air Force, Perdue became a successful small business owner, concentrating in agribusiness and transportation. Today, those businesses have grown to include several locations across the Southeast.

Perdue was a respected leader in his church and his community when he decided to enter public service. After serving on the Houston County Planning and Zoning Board during the 1980’s, he ran for the Georgia State Senate in 1990 and won. Sonny spent the next 11 years representing his Middle Georgia district in the General Assembly. Perdue left the State Senate in 2001 to begin his successful campaign for Governor, which focused on restoring public trust in state government and empowering all Georgians.

A fifth-generation Texan, Governor Rick Perry has taken an extraordinary Texas journey, from a tenant farm in the rolling West Texas plains to the governor’s office of our nation’s second largest state.

Texas’ 47th governor, and the first Texas A&M graduate to occupy the Governor’s Mansion, Rick Perry has led a life of public service, starting in the United States Air Force and continuing over two decades in elected office.

Governor Perry’s administration has focused on creating a Texas of unlimited opportunity and prosperity by improving education, securing the border and increasing economic development through classical conservative values. Under Governor Perry’s leadership, lawmakers recently passed a $153 billion budget, financing:

• a $3 billion cancer research fund
• a health opportunity pool that will help more Texans buy private health insurance
• more college financial aid
• a new incentive program for colleges and junior colleges
• $100 million to border security

Additionally, Governor Perry signed a school finance reform package that provides a 33 percent school property tax reduction, $2,000 pay raise for teachers, record funding for classrooms and a reformed business tax.

Governor Bob Riley was sworn into office for a second term as Alabama’s chief executive in January 2007, following a successful first term marked by great progress for the state. During those first four years, Governor Riley made good on promises to improve education, put Alabama’s economy on the right track and restore honesty to the Governor’s Office. The people overwhelmingly endorsed the Governor’s actions and his vision for a second term. They re-elected him with 58% of the vote, making him only the third sitting Alabama governor to win re-election in modern times.

Bob Riley was born and raised in the small Clay County town of Ashland, where his family has lived on ranches and farms for six generations. After graduating from the University of Alabama at age 20 with a degree in business administration, he returned to his hometown, married his high school sweetheart, Patsy Adams, and began a 30-year career in the private sector where he ran several successful businesses and a cattle farm. On their ranch in Ashland, Bob and Patsy Riley raised a family of four children: Rob, Jenice, Minda and Krisalyn.

Shortly after the birth of his first grandchild, Bob Riley believed he could make a difference through public service. So in 1996, at the age of 52, he ran for Congress. A then-political unknown, he beat tough odds and well-known opponents and was elected to represent Alabama’s third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the House, Congressman Riley worked to pass the first balanced budget in a generation, the first tax cuts in 20 years, and a stronger national defense from his seat on the House Armed Services Committee. He also fulfilled a promise to serve only three terms.

The world knows Arnold Schwarzenegger as a famous bodybuilder and a Hollywood action hero, but he is also a successful businessman, generous philanthropist and California’s 38th Governor.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s most notable accomplishments in his first five years in office include the nation-leading Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 – a bipartisan agreement to combat global warming by reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions – and overhauling the state’s workers’ compensation system – cutting costs by more than 35 percent. In addition, Governor Schwarzenegger is the first governor in decades to make major investments in improving California’s aging infrastructure through his Strategic Growth Plan, helping to reduce congestion and clean the air. He established the Hydrogen Highway and Million Solar Roofs Plan, continuing his leadership in creating a greener environment.

As Governor, he has been California’s most effective marketing tool, traveling across the country and around the world promoting California-grown products, cutting-edge technologies and the state’s diverse travel destinations. In addition, using his background as an internationally recognized athlete, Governor Schwarzenegger has made restoring health and fitness a top priority. He signed legislation making the state’s school nutrition standards the most progressive in the nation and continues to promote healthy habits by taking harmful trans fats out of California restaurants and ensuring nutritional information is available to diners.

Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council, the largest conservative family advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. Prior to taking the helm of FRC, he served two terms in the legislature where he was dubbed a “legislative pioneer” by the national media for crafting and passing innovative legislation. Perkins is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, a former police officer and a television reporter, bringing a unique blend of experience and leadership to the pro-family movement and acting as a spokesperson on these issues in national broadcast and print media.

Sarah Palin made history on Dec. 4, 2006, when she took office as the first female and the youngest governor in Alaska history at 42 years of age. During the 2008 presidential campaign, she became the first Alaskan and the first woman to be nominated for vice president by the Republican Party.

During her time in office, her top priorities were resource development, education and workforce development, public health and safety, and transportation and infrastructure development.

Under her leadership, Alaska invested more than $5 billion in state savings, increased education funding, and implemented the Senior Benefits Program that provides support for low-income older Alaskans. She created Alaska’s Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to provide oversight and maintenance of oil and gas equipment, facilities and infrastructure, and the Climate Change Subcabinet to prepare a climate change strategy for Alaska. She also established the Rural Subcabinet to create stronger, safer and healthier communities in the state’s outlying regions.

Governor Palin’s other accomplishments include the passage of community revenue sharing, an omnibus crime package, aviation safety, the reduction of business license fees, and an overhaul of the state’s ethics laws. She took steps to address Alaskans’ emergency energy needs by establishing a renewable energy fund, making rebates available for home weatherization and increasing the availability of bulk fuel loans to small communities and utilities.

Now in his sixth year as Governor, Haley Barbour has put Mississippi on a new path in job creation, education, health care, energy, safer communities and stronger families.

The results are significant: balanced budgets without any tax increases; a 27.8% increase in per capita personal income; prudent management of the state health care program; and new attention on Mississippi as an energy producing state that can help meet America’s energy needs in the future.

Governor Barbour’s first election in 2003 marked the largest voter turnout in Mississippi gubernatorial history, and he was reelected in 2007 with 58.2 percent of the vote. The Yazoo City, Mississippi, native is only the second governor since Reconstruction to be elected to a second consecutive term as Mississippi’s chief executive.

Achievements in his first term included:

Balancing the budget without raising taxes. Inheriting a budget hole of more than $720 million, Governor Barbour led by restraining spending, controlling debt and getting the state’s fiscal house in order. His policies not only filled the budget hole but also resulted in increasing Mississippi’s rainy day fund.

Newt Gingrich is well-known as the architect of the “Contract with America” that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House for the first time in forty years.  After he was elected Speaker, he disrupted the status quo by moving power out of Washington and back to the American people.  Under his leadership, Congress passed welfare reform, passed the first balanced budget in a generation, and passed the first tax cut in sixteen years.  In addition, the Congress restored funding to strengthen our defense and intelligence capabilities, an action later lauded by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission.

In his post-Speaker role, Newt has become one of the most highly sought-after public speakers, accepting invitations to speak before some of the most prestigious organizations in the world.  Because of his own unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Newt is able to share unique and unparalleled insights on a wide range of topics.  His audiences find him to be not only an educational but also an inspirational speaker.

Sean Hannity joined the FOX News Channel (FNC) in September 1996. He currently hosts his self titled program, “Hannity” (Monday-Friday, 9-10 p.m. ET). He is one of the most prominent and influential conservative voices in the country and his program offers a mix of news, commentary, interviews and branded segments such as the Great American Panel — made up of three nightly in-studio guests from across the political spectrum to discuss the issues of the day. Since Hannity debuted on January 12, has averaged 2.8 million viewers each night (frequently doubling the viewer total for his cable news competition), making it the second-highest rated program in all of cable news behind FOX News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Previously, Hannity co-hosted “Hannity & Colmes” with Alan Colmes for 12 years, which was the second-highest rated program in cable news.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is the host of the number one rated weekend hit “HUCKABEE” on the Fox News Channel, and is heard three times daily across the nation on the “Huckabee Report” on the ABC Radio Network, the fast growing new program on the ABC Radio Network.

He is the author of 6 books, the most recent being “Do the Right Thing,” which spent its first 7 weeks of release in the top ten of the New York Times Bestseller list.

After his quest for the Republican nomination for President in 2008, in which he finished second to John McCain, he formed HuckPac to assist Republicans running for office nationwide and has amassed a volunteer army of thousands of activists in all 50 states.