By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH COUNTY,IN Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, has named Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his vice presidential candidate.
That, according to Wabash County Republican Party chair Barbara Pearson, just goes to show that Indiana is a major player in the 2016 presidential election. “It’s done great things for Indiana,” she said. “It’s brought a lot attention, where normally by this time in this election cycle, we don’t matter much, but this time we do.”
Pearson said she was excited by Pence’s selection. “I think Hillary called us India-no-place,” she said. “I think this is where the action has been happening this year. We put Trump over the (top) here and he went on to clinch the nomination so that we could have our governor be the VP.
Chad Harris, the Wabash County Democrat Party chair, doesn’t believe Pence will help the GOP ticket. “I believe this to be a poor choice as Mike Pence gains Trump nothing politically,” Harris said. “Trump would likely have carried Indiana even without Pence. Pence has a 43 percent approval rating , and has focused almost exclusively on social matters during his three and a half years as governor. “The Trump -Pence Ticket is the most right wing since Goldwater-Miller in ‘64, Pence will do more harm to the GOP ticket than good.”
Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb congratulated Pence on his selection. He then announced that he planned to withdraw his nomination as lieutenant governor and would seek to replace Pence on the ballot in the race for governor.