Full name: Michael Richard Pence
Age: 57
Current job: Governor of Indiana.
Reputation, in one sentence: A former congressman, lauded by social conservatives, who’s had a sometime bumpy tenure at the helm in Indiana
Strengths: Picking Pence could bolster Trump’s credentials with conservatives, especially as a band of GOP delegates tries to thwart Trump at the convention. Pence also would give the GOP ticket congressional and gubernatorial experience.
Weaknesses: Pence had been running for re-election, and Indiana law bars him from running for both VP and governor – and he has until July 15 to remove his name from the Indiana ballot. Trump picking him could potentially cost Republicans a gubernatorial contest. Then there’s the backlash from Pence signing into law religious-freedom legislation that critics said allowed businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians for religious reasons.
Born: June 7, 1959 in Columbus, Indiana.
Family: Wife Karen. Children: Michael, Charlotte and Audrey.
Previous gigs: Attorney, 1986-1991; President of Indiana Policy Review Foundation, 1991-1993; Radio broadcaster, 1992-1999; TV host, 1995-1999; U.S. Congressman, 2000-2012.
Good to know: Pence says he was a Democrat as a teenager but was converted to the Republican Party after listening to Ronald Reagan speak.
Fun fact: After a particularly nasty pair of unsuccessful congressional races against longtime incumbent Philip Sharp in 1988 and 1990, Pence wrote an article entitled “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner,” in which he apologized for running negative ads.
