Mike Pence sits alone in a corner of sadness

Former vice president Mike Pence speaks at the Heritage Foundation on Oct. 19, 2022. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Mike Pence wants to be president. But there’s one problem — compared to the competition, he polls terribly. According to the latest data from Civiqs, he’s the only potential GOP presidential candidate who is well-known but not well-liked.

Republican voters know Pence. But they don’t like him.

GOP voters with a clear

opinion of the politician

100%

DeSantis

Trump

Pence

Abbott

80

Haley

Cotton

60

Hawley

40

20

0

10

20

30

40%

GOP voters who

view them unfavorably

GOP voters with a “clear opinion” of a

politician were able to rate them favorably

or unfavorably (and not “unsure” or

“don’t know”).

Source: Civiqs

DAVID BYLER/THE WASHINGTON POST

Republican voters know Mike Pence. But they don’t like him.

GOP voters with a clear

opinion of the politician

100%

DeSantis

Trump

Pence

80

Abbott

Haley

Cotton

60

Hawley

40

20

0

10

20

30

40%

GOP voters who view

them unfavorably

GOP voters with a “clear opinion” of a politician were

able to rate them favorably or unfavorably (and not

“unsure” or “don’t know”).

Source: Civiqs

DAVID BYLER/THE WASHINGTON POST

Republican voters know Mike Pence. But they don’t like him.

100%

GOP voters

with a clear

opinion of

the politician

DeSantis

Trump

Pence

80

Abbott

Haley

60

Cotton

Hawley

40

20

0

10

20

30

40%

GOP voters who view them unfavorably

GOP voters with a “clear opinion” of a politician were able to rate them favorably or

unfavorably (and not “unsure” or “don’t know”).

Source: Civiqs

DAVID BYLER/THE WASHINGTON POST

Most GOP presidential aspirants don’t have this problem.

Republicans who are as famous as Pence — such as former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — are beloved by the base. And other candidates who post low favorable ratings, such as Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri or Tom Cotton of Arkansas, aren’t disliked. GOP voters simply don’t know them.

But Republican voters know Pence and they still don’t like him.

As I’ve argued before, GOP voters dislike Pence because he stood up to Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. Immediately after Pence certified Joe Biden’s (rightful) victory, Pence’s favorability rating among Republican voters dropped. He never fully recovered.