WASHINGTON -- Arkansas Republicans who were slow to support Donald Trump quickly rallied around his running mate Friday, saying that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will strengthen the ticket and increase the chances of victory in the November presidential election.
Fellow Republicans who worked with Pence on Capitol Hill say the former congressman is a well-regarded and highly competent leader.
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, who served with Pence on the House Judiciary Committee from 2011-2013, said the political insider from Indiana will complement the maverick from New York and will help "address some of the concerns people have had about Trump."
"Some people may like the boldness [of Trump] and the willingness to shake up the status quo, but they worry about his lack of government experience," Griffin said. "Pence brings not only legislative but executive experience. He was in Washington long enough to know, be familiar with, the key players and the entities and interest groups. He has a lot of deep and abiding relationships with Washington."
Pence won't be the celebrity on the ticket, Griffin noted. "He's very down-to-earth. Very Midwestern. ... He doesn't have a rock star personality. He's not well known among everyday Americans," he said.
Although Pence will help Republicans on Election Day, he'll also be an asset if Trump wins the White House, Griffin said. "Pence is one whose not just good politically but could govern if called upon to do that," he said.
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, another Arkansan who served with Pence, is also satisfied with Trump's choice.
"I'm thrilled beyond words on the selection. I think it's a terrific selection. I think it adds to the national ticket," the Republican from Rogers said.
Friday's announcement "should satisfy a lot of people who have had questions about the potential disruptive influence of a personality like Mr. Trump," he said. Pence will be a "calm and reassuring, stable personality."
Although they only served one term together, "I had a terrific relationship with the governor when he was a colleague of mine in the House, talked extensively with him about a lot of long-term political issues facing our country and I knew then ... that he was going to be on a national ticket someday," Womack said.
Trump's running mate is "a mature and poised, very confident, articulate and proven conservative," Womack said. "Our base is going to love Mike Pence. This country is going to love Mike Pence."
In written statements, two other Arkansans who have served with Pence are also voicing support.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who will lead the Arkansas delegation in Cleveland, said Friday that he's happy to back his longtime colleague.
"Donald Trump passed his first major test by selecting a governor, an experienced legislator, and a well known conservative," Hutchinson said through a spokesman. "I have known Mike Pence since my days in Congress. He campaigned for me in Arkansas and he is a friend. He perfectly balances a Trump candidacy with his experience and his respect among the conservative base. I am thrilled with this selection."
U.S. Sen. John Boozman, who spent more than a decade with Pence in the House, also praised Trump's pick.
"Governor Pence is a good friend and former colleague," the Republican from Rogers said. "As a former Congressman and now Governor of the Hoosier State, Mike has a proven conservative track record. He has a broad range of executive and law-making experience, and I am confident he will be an asset to the ticket."
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, a first-term Republican from Hot Springs, also sees Pence as a solid pick.
Trump's selection "shows that he is serious about leading our country," Westerman said through a spokesman. Pence "would be a wise advisor to the president and an advocate for the House Republicans' policies in Congress, where he served with distinction for six terms. The governor is a leader who I believe would be ready to assume the presidency on day one."
While Westerman described Pence as an effective leader, Arkansas Democrats were raising doubts about his fitness for office.
"Like Trump, Mike Pence opposes the minimum wage, workers rights, accessible healthcare for low-income women and families, and has an approval rating so low that he likely could not get re-elected in his home state," state party spokesman H.L. Moody said in a written statement. "Democrats are committed to making sure that neither Donald Trump, or Mike Pence ever get anywhere near the White House."
A Section on 07/16/2016