Former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels hasn’t ruled out a bid for his old office should his successor, current governor Mike Pence, be named Donald Trump’s running mate, THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned.
Daniels “hasn’t said no” to the idea in conversations with at least two people, according to a member of the state’s GOP leadership with firsthand knowledge of the discussions. The likely reason? Daniels, the president of Purdue University who departed office with high marks from the public, misses his prior job.
Pence’s addition to the Trump ticket—speculation of which is now “gospel” to Hoosier Republicans, the source adds—would provide Daniels a timely off-ramp to pursue the opportunity. Pence is up for reelection this year, but he could face a stiff test amid a turbulent last couple of years in office. He’s scheduled to appear with Trump in the Hoosier State Tuesday, which has prompted chatter that an announcement is imminent. The Washington Times reported Sunday that several Republicans close to both the Trump campaign and Pence are “convinced” he will get the nod.
Such timing is key. Because Indiana state law would forbid Pence from running for both governor and vice president, he has until Friday to withdraw himself from the gubernatorial race and allow the Indiana Republican party to name his replacement on the ballot. The process would come to a vote by a 22-person party committee, of which our source is a member.
Multiple names have been floated as options, including several state politicians and officeholders with more national recognition. U.S. representatives Susan Brooks and Todd Rokita are possibilities, as well as Pence’s lieutenant governor, Eric Holcomb, who would be a natural choice.
But Holcomb is a Daniels acolyte. And Daniels looms large enough that he could clear the field.
The onetime budget director in the George W. Bush administration served as Indiana’s governor from 2005 to 2013, during which time he overhauled the state government and put Indiana on sound fiscal footing amid the financial crisis. He was rumored to be a presidential candidate in the 2012 cycle, but he took himself out of consideration in May 2011. Though he fought some controversial battles on education and labor, Daniels registered an approval rating of 63 percent his last year in office, placing him among the country’s most popular governors.
His record of management, even demeanor, and respect with national Republicans have buoyed his profile even as he transitioned from political life in 2013. Just last month, conservative columnist George Will called Daniels “the president America needs.”
Should Daniels reenter the political fray in the coming days, that headline could appear more frequently from his backers as the calendar moves toward 2020.
