CBS News: Trump To Select Indiana Gov. Mike Pence For VP
BALTIMORE (WJZ/CBS News/AP) -- Donald Trump has chosen Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate, CBS News reports.
Trump is expected to formally call Pence with the news this afternoon. The Republican presidential nominee tweeted late Wednesday that the formal announcement of his VP pick will come at 11 a.m. Friday in Manhattan.
Pence was elected the 50th Governor of Indiana in 2012 and was inaugurated on January 14, 2013.
He is running for re-election, but Indiana law prevents him from seeking two offices at once. He faces a Friday deadline to withdraw from the governor's race.
Mike was born and raised in Columbus, Indiana. He graduated from Hanover College in 1981 and earned his J.D. from the Indiana University School of Law in 1986. He and his wife, Karen Pence, recently celebrated 31 years of marriage and they have three children -- Michael, Charlotte and Audrey.
Pence, 57, is a steady, staunch conservative who would help calm nervous Republican wary of Trump's impulsive style. He served six terms in Congress before becoming Indiana governor. He also has deep ties to evangelical Christians and other conservatives, particularly after signing a law last year that critics said would have allowed businesses to deny service to gay people for religious reasons.
Trump took notice of Pence during the Indiana primary, noting that the governor had high praise for him despite endorsing one of his rivals.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said earlier Thursday that Pence would be a good pick for Trump's campaign.
Ryan says it's no secret he's a big fan of Pence's and holds him in very high regard.
"I hope that he picks a good movement conservative," Ryan said. "Clearly Mike is one of those."
The Republican National Convention will get under way in Cleveland next week.
This is a developing story.
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