After frenzied, final decision-making, Donald Trump announced Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate Friday, adding an experienced politician with deep Washington connections to the Republican presidential ticket.
Trump’s pick was aimed in part at easing some Republicans’ concerns about his temperament and lack of political experience. Pence spent six years in Congress before being elected governor and his demeanor is as calm as Trump’s is fiery. While some conservatives are skeptical of Trump’s political leanings, Pence has been a stalwart ally on social issues.
New Hampshire Republicans said Friday Pence is a “good conservative” who can help balance the ticket. Pence hasn’t spent much time in New Hampshire, but in 2014 he campaigned with Republican gubernatorial candidate Walt Havenstein in Nashua.
“He is a committed conservative, but I think he is also someone who is creative,” said Senate Majority Jeb Bradley, a Wolfeboro Republican who served in Congress with Pence. “He was absolutely well respected in Washington, he has done a fantastic job as governor in Indiana.”
Yet Pence is largely unknown to many Americans. And his solidly conventional political background runs counter to Trump’s anti-establishment mantra.
The two men scheduled a news conference for Saturday in New York to present themselves to America as the Republican team that will take on Hillary Clinton and her Democratic running mate in November. The duo will head to Cleveland next week for the Republican National Convention.
As Pence arrived for a private meeting with Trump on Friday, he told reporters he “couldn’t be more happy for the opportunity to run with and serve with the next president of the United States.”
The reaction to the Pence choice from Republican officials was overwhelmingly positive – no small feat for Trump, given how polarizing he’s been within his own party.
“It was a pick that clearly shows he is pivoting to the general election,” said GOP chairman Reince Priebus, who was in the midst of an interview with the Associated Press when Trump announced his decision. “He is choosing a person who has the experience inside and outside Washington, Christian conservative, very different style that I think shows a lot of maturity.”
Pence, a staunchly conservative 57-year-old, served six terms in Congress before being elected governor and could help Trump navigate Capitol Hill. He is well-regarded by evangelical Christians, particularly after signing a law that critics said would allow businesses to deny service to gay people for religious reasons.
Clinton’s campaign moved quickly to paint him as the “most extreme pick in a generation.”
“By picking Mike Pence as his running mate, Donald Trump has doubled down on some of his most disturbing beliefs by choosing an incredibly divisive and unpopular running mate,” said John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman.
Trump spent weeks weighing vice presidential contenders, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and only zeroed in on Pence in recent days. In fact, the selection process appeared on the verge of sliding out of control in the final hours before the announcement, sparking speculation that Trump might be changing his mind.
Word that Pence would be joining the Republican ticket began trickling out in news reports Thursday before Trump had made a final decision or called Pence to offer him the job, according to a Republican familiar with the situation. Trump was in California for fundraisers, separated from his closest aides, and was fuming about leaks that he viewed as an attempt to pressure him into the decision.
Still, Trump called Pence Thursday afternoon to offer him the job and ask him to fly to New York for a Friday morning news conference. Pence accepted and boarded a private plane, along with his wife.
Hours later, a huge truck barreled through a crowded holiday celebration in Nice, France, killing more than 80 people. With Pence sitting in a New York hotel, Trump decided to postpone the announcement.
The billionaire businessman then went on Fox News to say he had not yet settled on his “final, final” choice. He also held a midnight conference call with his top aides to discuss the situation, according to two people with knowledge of the call.
By Friday, plans were back on track.
Trump sent out a Twitter message saying he was pleased to announce Pence as his running mate. Moments later, one of Pence’s aides filed paperwork with the Indiana Secretary of State’s office withdrawing him from the governor’s race.
In a statement Friday, state Republican party chairwoman Jennifer Horn called Pence an “excellent choice.”
“From his time as a U.S. Congressman to his executive experience as Indiana’s governor, he has demonstrated that he is a proven conservative and qualified leader who has what it takes to help guide our nation forward,” she said.
Senate President Chuck Morse, a Salem Republican who hasn’t met Pence personally, called him a “a good conservative governor.”
U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte joined in the GOP praise
“As an experienced former Congressman and sitting governor, Mike Pence is a well-qualified choice to serve as Vice President of the United States,” she said.
State Democrats, for their part, criticized Pence for his record on women’s health and LGBT issues. Pence faced backlash this year over a bill he signed that bans abortions in cases of fetal abnormalities, including those that can lead to later miscarriages, and state mandates that fetal remains be either cremated or buried.
“It’s clear that Trump has found a like-minded vice presidential nominee who would be just as dangerous to the families and hard-workers of our state,” U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman, strongly rejected suggestions that the candidate ever wavered about Pence.
“Never waffled once he made his decision,” Manafort wrote in an email.
(Allie Morris contributed to this report.)