“The political world, the political life, is all out there. Our family has to come first.”

American schoolteacher, second lady of the United States

Karen Pence is an American schoolteacher who served as second lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021. She was also first lady of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, during her husband's time as governor, and is married to former vice president Mike Pence. Her public role has been tied to civic and ceremonial duties alongside her husband's political career, first in Indiana and later in Washington. Her background as a teacher is part of how she is identified, alongside the offices she held as spouse of elected leaders.