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The VP nod may not be official yet – but Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is abandoning his …
Presidential
Sources say steps underway for Pence to be Trump VP pick; gov drops re-election bid
Now Playing Pence the pick? Governor reportedly abandons re-election bid
This comes as Pence gives his most public signal yet that he’s preparing for the announcement, abandoning his gubernatorial bid in Indiana. Sources say Pence, who faced a Friday deadline to make a decision, will not run for re-election.
The Trump campaign still insists an offer has not formally been made to anyone -- and nothing is final until the presumptive nominee announces his running mate Friday morning.
But all signs seem to point to Pence.
The announcement set for Friday follows a very-public vetting process that included meetings in recent days with Pence, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, among others.
If Trump settles on Pence, who went from dark horse to leading contender in a matter of days, the pick presumably is aimed at galvanizing support from the party’s conservative base as Trump charges into the Republican nominating convention.
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Pence, now in a tough re-election bid, spent 12 years in Congress including as the leader of the House Republican Conference.
Pence emerged relatively late in the vice presidential stakes.
But he moved almost immediately to the top of the list, considering he gives the Trump campaign much-needed social conservative credentials without the kind of political baggage that Democrats had hoped to exploit in other finalists like Christie or Gingrich.
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser issued a statement saying the expected selection of Pence is “an affirmation of the pro-life commitments he’s made and will rally the pro-life grassroots.”
"Mike Pence would make an outstanding running mate,” GOP strategist Rob Burgess said.
Still, Pence is not without some negatives, particularly his handling last year of the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The original law, which he signed, allowed residents and companies being sued by a private party to cite their religious beliefs as a defense. However, critics argued the law would allow discrimination against gays and others.
The national and widespread criticism was so damaging it forced Pence and the state legislature to revise the law to clearly prohibit businesses from denying services to customers based on their sexual preference or gender choice. And it appeared to end Pence’s 2016 presidential aspirations.
The liberal MoveOn issued a statement Thursday calling Pence an “extreme right-wing” governor.
Fox News' Carl Cameron and FoxNew.com's Joseph Weber contributed to this report.
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