Former Vice President Mike Pence officially enters Republican primary race

June 5 (UPI) -- Just days before his birthday, former vice president Mike Pence has officially filed the paperwork to seek the Republican nomination to run for the President of the United States in next year's election.

Pence, who turns 64 on Wednesday, filed the notice with the Federal Election Commission Monday.

The native of Columbus, Ind., shared a video of he and his wife Karen Pence attending an event over the weekend to support an Iowa Senate candidate, but has yet to make an official announcement.

Pence is expected to make a formal announcement Wednesday ahead of a presidentIal town hall meeting hosted by CNN.

The move sets up a direct clash with former president Donald Trump, who is also seeking the Republican nomination. Pence served as the 48th vice president under Trump.

Pence testified before a federal grand jury about Trump's insistence he had the authority to overrule the 2020 election results, but has not publicly commented on the testimony.

Pence has attempted to distance himself from Trump since leaving the White House. He has long hinted that he would make a run for the Oval Office, before filing the official paperwork.

"In 2024, I believe Conservatives have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to renew the promise of America!," Tweeted Saturday, in a thread of campaign-style messages.

"We can be a nation where everyone prospers, and everyone wins. We can have a government that is as good as our people. And we can be a nation where every American is free to live, to work, and to worship, according to the dictates of their faith and conscience!"

Pence, who has a law degree and also represented Indiana in the House before becoming governor, is not expected to deviate from his evangelical Christian base, where he has long been an advocate for traditional conservative values.

He has drawn criticism for his stance on gay rights and for supporting a ban on same-sex marriage in his state and has pushed for a national ban on abortion.

Last week, the Justice Department confirmed it would not pursue charges after Pence's attorneys found a dozen classified documents inside a box at his Indiana home. His representatives said they were inadvertently packed when leaving the White House and that the Pence camp had been expecting no charges would stem from the incident.