Left: Donald Trump; Right: Mike Pence
According to a CBS News Poll, most voters are unfamiliar with Donald Trump’s running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence.
CBS News’ Major Garrett reported that Trump selected Indiana Gov. Mike Pence to be his running mate Thursday, citing a GOP official close to the process. The official announcement will be made on Friday at 11 a.m. in Manhattan.
The poll says 86% of registered voters are undecided about Pence or don’t known enough about him to have an opinion.
Over eight in 10 Republican voters are not familiar with Pence. Only 7% have a favorable view or him, while 6% have an unfavorable view.
The addition of Pence to the ticket may help assuage concerns among conservatives worried that Trump is too moderate on social issues.
In a separate CBS News/New York Times Poll, 69% of voters say a vice presidential candidate matters at least some in their vote for president. Thirty percent say it matters a lot and a third says it doesn’t really affect their presidential vote.
Pence is best known nationally for signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, which opponents said opened the door for legal discrimination against gays. The ensuing battle over the law saw Pence at odds with Indiana’s business community amid calls for corporations to boycott the state, and his approval rating dropped as much as 15 points in some polls.
The Indiana legislature passed a “fix” to the law, which Pence signed, drawing criticism from some conservatives who thought the law had been watered down too much.
