Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin confirmed on Sunday that she is not being vetted by Donald Trump’s campaign, despite being floated for months as a possible running mate for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
“I have not been asked for specific documentation and I have not had a specific conversation with any of his staff about vice president,” Fallin told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “It’s certainly a great honor to be mentioned with numerous other people across our nation, but I have not been asked to provide information.”
Fallin also suggested that Trump’s campaign steer clear of picking a candidate based on gender despite the potential benefits a female running mate could have on the ticket. Trump has suffered historically low favorability ratings among women and minorities.
“I hope first and foremost that, whoever they’re looking at for vice president, that they would look at the qualifications, the skillsets, the knowledge, the history, conservative principles and values,” she said, adding that she hopes the campaign “would not judge a vice presidential candidate based on their sex — man or woman.”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have all received vetting paperwork from the Trump campaign. The candidate is expected to announce his running mate by July 15, three days before Republicans convene in Cleveland for their national convention.
