Pence's VP Move Creates Scramble To Replace Him On Governor's Ballot

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence withdrew from his re-election bid Friday shortly after Donald Trump announced on Twitter that he'd chosen the Republican as his vice presidential candidate.

The move set off a domino effect across various congressional and state races in Indiana as Republicans jockeyed to replace Pence on the November ballot.

Indiana law bars a candidate from seeking multiple state and federal offices at the same time, so Pence had to file paperwork before noon Friday with state election officials to take his name off the gubernatorial ballot so state Republican leaders can pick a new candidate for governor.

Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb and U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks and Todd Rokita, a Northwest Indiana native, withdrew from their own re-election races shortly after Pence's form, which was signed and dated Thursday, was submitted to state election officials.

All faced the same deadline to exit their current races, although GOP officials could later restore any of them to a vacancy.

The state Republican committee would pick the candidate to oppose Democratic nominee John Gregg, the former Indiana House speaker who Pence narrowly beat in 2012.

The 22-member Republican committee would have 30 days to select a new nominee for governor, but former state Republican Chairman Mike McDaniel said he expects a decision will be sooner.

"Every one of those days are eating into the campaign," McDaniel said. "They can't wait."

One big name that won't be in the Republican mix is Pence's popular two-term predecessor, Mitch Daniels. The current Purdue University president announced Thursday he won't seek the job.