Pence departs for Washington

INDIANAPOLIS — Columbus native and Vice President-elect Mike Pence gave his final farewell to the Hoosier state and departed for the nation’s capital Monday afternoon, just an hour after attending Gov. Eric Holcomb’s inauguration ceremony.

Joined by his wife Karen, his daughter Charlotte, and his furry friends, a bunny named Marlon Bundo and two cats named Pickle and Oreo, Pence boarded a United States-owned plane, which will later be known as Air Force Two when Pence takes office.

This is Pence’s final departure from Indiana before he takes office as vice president on Jan. 20 in Washington D.C.

In a video message to Hoosiers Sunday, Pence shared his final thoughts with Hoosiers after serving as governor for four years.

“Together we’ve made great strides since that January day in 2013 when I first took the oath of office,” Pence said in the video. “As my time as your governor comes to an end, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for giving me and my family the opportunity to serve the state we love. Thank you for supporting our efforts to build an even better Indiana over the last four years.”