As the Republican National Convention draws closer, politicians and voters alike are curious as to who Donald Trump will pick to be his running mate. Trump was considering four possible running mates: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Indiana Governor Mike Pence.
However, according to The New York Times, Trump’s advisors told Republican officials that they are getting ready to make an announcement with the Governor. Paul Manafort, chairman of Trump’s campaign, stated that the campaign had not made any official announcement on Trump’s choice for a running mate at this time, the Times reports.
Trump has been testing out his potential running mates, with Governor Pence appearing at a rally in Indiana with Trump and later meeting privately with Trump, the Times reports.
According to The Washington Post, Gov. Pence has held public office since 2000, with most of his political career spent in Congress. He was elected Governor of Indiana in 2012. Governor Pence has long described himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order,” the Post reports.
Of Trump’s potential running mates, Gov. Pence is the more cautious choice. Gov. Pence, according to the Times, is more “laid-back” and does not have “the same set of showman’s instincts” as Trump. Basically, he’d be pretty out of place on a reality TV show like The Apprentice. However, his orthodox conservative views on issues such as abortion and gay rights might help Trump to obtain the votes of Republicans who have been wary of him.
In addition, Gov. Pence is well-liked in the Republican community. House Speaker Paul Ryan calls him a friend, according to the Post. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell who has often expressed disapproval of Trump, told the Times that he would “look forward to enthusiastically supporting the ticket.”
Gov. Pence was in the news recently for the Periods for Pence campaign—After he signed a restrictive abortion bill, women called up the Governor’s office to tell him all about their periods, as he obviously cared so much about getting into women’s reproductive business.
Trump will be announcing his Vice Presidential pick on Friday morning in Manhattan.