Profile: Indiana Gov.-elect Mike Pence

• Pence was elected to Congress in 2000
• Was urged by Tea Party activists to consider a 2012 White House bid
• During campaign he emphasized economy, jobs, education and taxes

Mike Pence was not always a Republican.

His party swap took place in his late teens while he was an undergrad at Hanover College, from which he earned a degree in history in 1981. The switch, he says, was inspired by Ronald Reagan's brand of conservatism and his views on limited government.

Now Pence, 53, describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order."

Pence was elected to Congress in 2000 where he is serving his sixth term. He represents Indiana's 6th congressional district.

Speaker of the House John Boehner has described Pence as "a cheerful warrior who will never lay down his arms in the fight for a government that honors our Constitution and reflects the consent of the governed."

Pence earned a law degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 1986 and practiced law for several years after graduating. He also served as president of the conservative Indiana Policy Review Foundation and hosted state-syndicated The Mike Pence Show in 1992. He hosted a Sunday morning political television show in Indianapolis as well.

His conservative stance on social issues is well-known: He is an anti-abortion advocate and opposes embryonic stem cell research. He supported the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy that prevented openly gay soldiers from serving in the military and believes that only marriage between a man and a woman should be recognized.

He was urged to consider a 2012 presidential run by Tea Party activists, conservatives and idealogical Republicans, but in January 2011 he announced that he would not run.

In his campaign for governor, the primary issues he emphasized were the economy, jobs, education and taxes. He coined his own "Road Map for Indiana," outlining the goals of his administration, including a 10% cut in the state's income tax rate.

Pence and his wife, Karen, have three children.