Mitch Daniels Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research

Here’s a look at the life of Mitch Daniels, former governor of Indiana.

Personal

Birth date: April 7, 1949

Birth place: Monongahela, Pennsylvania

Birth name: Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr.

Father: Mitchell Daniels Sr., drug company salesman

Mother: Dorothy Mae (Wilkes) Daniels

Marriage: Cheri (Herman) Daniels (1997-present and May 20, 1978-1994, divorced)

Children: Margaret, Meredith, Melissa and Meagan

Education: Princeton University, B.A., 1971; Georgetown University, J.D., 1979

Religion: Presbyterian

Other Facts

Daniels is a motorcycle enthusiast and rides a Harley Davidson.

Daniels has worked in the presidential administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

He is known for being fiscally responsible, balancing Indiana’s budget in his first term as governor, cutting expenditures wherever possible and having a surplus over multiple years.

Timeline

1971-1976 – Serves as aide and later adviser to Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar.

1977-1983 – Serves as chief of staff to Senator Lugar (R-Indiana).

1983-1984 – Executive Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

1985-1987 – Serves as senior adviser to President Reagan.

1987-1990 – Chief Executive Officer, Hudson Institute.

1990-2001 – Executive at Eli Lilly.

2001-2003 – Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

2004 – Is elected the 49th governor of Indiana.

January 10, 2005-January 14, 2013 – Two-term Republican governor of Indiana.

May 22, 2011 – Announces he will not be running for president in 2012.

June 21, 2012 – Purdue University announces Daniels has been unanimously elected to be the school’s next president. His term begins on January 15, 2013.

January 27, 2015 – Daniels writes a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, “How Student Debt Harms the Economy.” He writes that there is “evidence that it’s not just consumer spending that these debts are denting, but also economic dynamism.”

November 28, 2016 – Is elected as a member of the Board of Directors for Norfolk Southern Corporation.

June 10, 2022 – Purdue announces that Dr. Mung Chiang will replace Daniels as president of Purdue University on January 1, 2023.

January 31, 2023 – In a statement, Daniels says he has decided against a 2024 Indiana Senate bid.

March 28, 2023 – The Liberty Fund announces that Daniels will join the private educational foundation as a distinguished scholar and senior adviser, beginning on April 1.

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