Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has officially selected Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate.
I am pleased to announce that I have chosen Governor Mike Pence as my Vice Presidential running mate. News conference tomorrow at 11:00 A.M.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2016
Pence has been Governor since 2012, and will not seek re-election as Indiana law prohibits running for two offices simultaneously. Before that, he spent twelve years representing Indiana in the US House of Representatives.
Pence holds a 100% pro-life record with the National Right to Life Committee and 0% scores with Planned Parenthood and NARAL. His most recent major pro-life action was signing a law that bans abortions for genetic abnormalities, race, or sex; requires ultrasounds before abortions and admitting privileges for abortionists; and mandates that aborted babies be either buried or cremated.
Trump is running as a pro-life candidate, though doubts remain for many pro-lifers due to both his recent past as “very pro-choice” and a variety of statements he made during this election season. While discussion over Trump himself will continue among the pro-life movement, many are surely relieved that he did not tap retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, one of his foreign policy advisers, who has made a number of inconsistent statements on abortion.
During the primary, Pence eventually endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz just before the Indiana vote that ended Cruz’s candidacy, but he was widely criticized for refusing to strongly affirm that Cruz was preferable to Trump in doing so: “I’m not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Republican primary […] I urge everyone to make up their own mind.”
Trump reportedly selected Pence for his governing experience as someone who could help the businessman, who has never held elected office, navigate the federal government.
