Several news outlets reported Thursday that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is Trump's pick for VP, though the Trump campaign has not commented on the rumors.
Mike Pence
Governor, Indiana
Age
57
Who is he?
Michael Richard Pence was born in Columbus, Ind., on June 7, 1959, one of six children. Pence earned a degree in history then went on to get his law degree and work in private practice as a young man.
He became the president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, a free market think tank. Pence left that job to become a talk radio host prior to being elected to six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won the election for governor of Indiana in 2012, and has said he is running for reelection in 2016.
One of his main platforms is education reform, and he is also known for reaching across the aisle to work on legislation. Pence opposes both same-sex marriage and civil unions.
On March 26, 2015, Pence signed the Indiana "religious objections" bill into law that some saw as a pass to discriminate against LGBT people. After waves of pressure over the bill, Pence signed legislation revising the law to prevent discrimination against homosexuals.
Pence has strong backing among many evangelical leaders in the Republican Party, although he faces a difficult re-election battle in Indiana as he supports socially conservative policies.
What they are saying about Pence
A different kind of apprentice
“Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana will be the latest contestant to apprentice himself to Donald J. Trump when he takes the stage with him on Tuesday in Westfield, Ind., in an audition of sorts for the No. 2 slot on the Republican ticket. Mr. Pence, a former talk-radio host and congressman, has emerged as one of the leading contenders to become Mr. Trump’s running mate. And his appearance with Mr. Trump on the outskirts of Indianapolis (and the subsequent reviews of his 2016 debut) will most likely play a role as the Trump campaign races to pick a vice president before the Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday in Cleveland. … Mr. Pence offers the governing and Washington savvy Mr. Trump says he wants in a running mate, and is popular with religious conservatives, which could help reassure Republicans who remain skeptical of Mr. Trump’s positions on same-sex marriage and abortion.”
The rogue pick?
“Donald Trump prides himself on keeping his legion of enemies off-balance with sheer unpredictability. That’s certainly the tactic that’s driven his process for choosing a running mate. The announcement is imminent, with the Republican National Convention opening July 18. The Washington Times reported on Sunday that it’s a “95 percent” likelihood he’s already settled on his least-interesting and most-reassuring choice, colorless Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who’ll appear with him at a rally and fundraiser on Tuesday. But with his showman’s flair, Trump is still publicly trotting out contenders—Chris Christie’s turn comes on Monday in Virginia—and gleefully fueling speculation that he still might go fantastically rogue.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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