Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has received the Republican National Committee’s stamp of approval as the man who will join Donald Trump on the 2016 GOP presidential ticket.
“Gov. Mike Pence is an experienced public servant and a solid conservative whose policies have led to the longest period of uninterrupted job growth in Indiana’s history,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said shortly after Trump revealed his running mate on Friday morning.
Priebus continued, “This is a job-creating, America First ticket, whose wealth of knowledge and experience will get middle-class families thriving again. Their winning ideas are in stark contrast to Hillary Clinton, whose plans are merely more of the failed Obama policies which have sent debt skyrocketing and paychecks slumping.”
According to Priebus, who has long encouraged Trump to work toward unifying the GOP, picking Pence “makes it clear that the Republican Party is the only party prepared to lead an American turnaround.”
Pence, who beat out New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich for the coveted position, was lauded by conservative activists on Friday as the key to unifying Republicans in the general election by assuaging the concerns of those on the right who remain opposed to Trump.
“I can think of no better choice for our vice-presidential candidate,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, who’s been among the GOP leaders expressing skepticism about Trump’s conservative credentials.
Trump and Pence will appear together in New York City on Saturday at press conference to be held at 11 a.m. ET.
