Former Vice President Mike Pence did not announce his candidacy for 2024, despite a document filed on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) website that raised attention Monday.
British outlet Sky News first reported that Pence had filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC on Monday, according to Reuters. However, Devin O’Malley, a spokesperson for Pence, tweeted later that evening that the former vice president “did not file to run for President today.”
The document on the FEC’s website is filed for a Mr. Mike Richard Pence, and is filed under an Anderson, Indiana, address, Pence’s home state. However, the former vice president’s full legal name is Michael Richard Pence, and according to the Indianapolis Star, his family last bought a home in Carmel, Indiana.
It is unclear at the time who is behind the FEC filing. A user on Twitter asked O’Malley if he believed someone had pranked Pence’s team with the FEC filing, to which the spokesman responded, “I think someone pranked you.”
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Pence previously said that he and his family were in “prayerful consideration” over him potentially running in 2024, and Politico reported that he and his team began hiring political staff in November.
Pence has also been critical of his former running mate, former President Donald Trump, who announced his 2024 candidacy in mid-November.
Other high-profile Republicans, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have also been speculated to be considering a run against Trump in the next election; however, no other potential candidate has confirmed their candidacy to date.
The misleading FEC filing on Monday sparked discussion among Twitter users as well regarding if Pence should run for president in the first place. Several conservative leaders suggested that a presidential run would be a mistake if Pence was to face Trump or DeSantis in 2024.
Conservative author Nick Adams wrote, “I speak for the vast majority of Americans when I say that I could not care less that Mike Pence is running for president.”
Brigitte Gabriel, founder of the conservative grassroots movement ACT for America, joked that the former vice president “can run to the bathroom, he can run for President, he can run down his street. I really don’t care.”
Former Florida congressional candidate Lavern Spicer also suggested that Pence would “humiliate himself” if he did launch a presidential campaign.
“He said he’d only run if God told him to,” Spicer wrote. “I don’t know why God would want to see Mike humiliate himself like that, but okay Mike!”
Newsweek has reached out to O’Malley for comment.
Update 12/26/22, 8:25 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.