Five stand out as possible running mate for Trump

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

WASHINGTON

Donald Trump has essentially seized the Republican presidential nomination, and now he has a key decision: Who will be his running mate?

Trump has benefited from his outsider status, but the billionaire businessman has said his vice presidential pick will probably have political experience.

In an interview with the Associated Press last week, Trump repeated that idea and said his list of choices included “five or six” people.

Some possible picks have indicated openness to the job; other prominent Republicans have forcefully said they would not join Trump on a ticket.

Trump plans to announce his No. 2 at the Republican National Convention in July and has asked his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, to head the team vetting candidates.

Several names have been floated, some by Trump himself. What are their thoughts? Here’s a look at five of the most-likely candidates.

JAN BREWER

Former Arizona governor Jan Brewer, whose sharp attacks on illegal immigration resemble Trump’s, has lauded his sometimes caustic rhetoric.

As governor in 2010, she signed a law that made it a crime for immigrants in the country illegally to seek work or travel without carrying immigration papers. The law also required police to determine the immigration status of someone arrested or detained.

Opponents of the law said it would lead to more racial profiling by police. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down much of the law in 2012, although it upheld the part allowing police to check people’s status.

Picking Brewer would emphasize what already has been a key issue for Trump. Trump called Brewer “fantastic” in a recent interview.

She has indicated interest. “I would be willing to serve in any capacity that I could be of help,” she told CNN recently.

CHRIS CHRISTIE

Shortly after suspending his presidential campaign, New Jersey Gov. Christie became the first prominent figure in the Republican establishment to endorse Trump. He has traveled to primary states to campaign on Trump’s behalf.

Christie, whose blunt style is similar to Trump’s, spearheads the businessman’s transition team.

Christie’s state - a Democratic stronghold - doesn’t seem a likely target for Trump in a general election, and Christie is extremely unpopular at home. His brash manner could be an asset to Trump’s campaign.

“He was an early endorsement and a very enthusiastic one,” Trump said of Christie in a recent interview on Fox News. “He is a friend of mine.”

MARY FALLIN

Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin, who also served in Congress, is relatively unknown on the national stage and is not particularly popular in her home state. She became a subject of vice presidential chatter after former South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer suggested her while speaking on CNN.

“Great job and advice,” Trump wrote in a Twitter message after Bauer’s appearance. In his Fox interview, Trump mentioned Fallin, along with Brewer, as women he would consider. Fallin has indicated an openness to serving alongside Trump.

NEWT GINGRICH

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, whose quest for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 faltered, has deep roots in Washington and could serve as a bridge to some establishment Republican figures, although he also would bring controversy with him.

Gingrich, 72, has praised Trump for running “one of the most remarkable campaigns in American history.”

JEFF SESSIONS

Jeff Sessions, U.S. senator from Alabama, is in lockstep with Trump on an issue that’s become the core of his campaign: illegal immigration.

Sessions is a fierce advocate of Trump’s proposals – from building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to deporting immigrants. Sessions, who has spent nearly two decades in Washington, advises Trump on foreign policy.

He has told reporters that he’s willing to undergo the vetting process, should Trump consider him as a running mate.

Among candidates on the fence is Joni Ernst, U.S. senator from Iowa. An Iraq war veteran serving her first term in the Senate, Ernst remained neutral throughout the caucus process in her home state. (She did, however, make a brief appearance at a rally for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.)

Many establishment Republicans, including Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 GOP nominee, have floated Ernst’s name as a possible running mate for Trump. “I’m just focusing on Iowa right now,” Ernst told Politico this month, declining to rule out becoming Trump’s No. 2.

Former Florida Gov. Rick Scott remained netural during the March primary in his home state between Trump and Rubio. But a day after Trump easily won Florida, Scott endorsed the billionaire mogul, who regularly stays at his Mar-a-Lago Club in South Florida.

Recent polls show Scott below average in popularity, although improved from last year. Still, he represents Florida, a perennial swing state with 29 electoral votes that could be pivotal.

Scott has said he’s going to remain governor through the end of his term in 2018, but he has also told reporters he’d “do anything I can to make sure [Trump] wins.”

Others, have made it perfectly clear they want no spot on a presidential ticket with Trump at the top.

Nikki Haley, South Carolina governor, is a potentially transformational figure in the Republican party – the daughter of immigrants from India who became the state’s first female governor. Her endorsement was coveted by GOP presidential hopefuls ahead of the state’s primary.

She backed Rubio, and during her rebuttal of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address in January, threw an indirect jab at Trump.

“During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices,” Haley said.

She told local reporters this month that she has no interest in a vice presidential slot.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has consistently blasted Trump’s rhetoric toward women and immigrants, calling it divisive and unpresidential. Kasich, who leads a critical swing state, has noted that he will support the Republican nominee this fall.

But what about serving as Trump’s No. 2?

“Zero chance,” he said last month in an interview with CBS.