(CNN) Donald Trump said Friday Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is his choice to be his running mate.

"I am pleased to announce that I have chosen Governor Mike Pence as my Vice Presidential running mate. News conference tomorrow at 11:00 A.M.," the presumptive Republican nominee tweeted.

CNN reported Thursday that Trump had called Pence and offered him the vice presidential slot on his ticket. Pence has accepted.

The pick sets up a stark clash in styles: a brash presumptive nominee with a tendency to freelance into controversies alongside a cautious former congressional leader who's stuck close to conservative orthodoxy since starting his career in talk radio.

Pence took to Twitter shortly after the announcement, saying , "Honored to join @realDonaldTrump and work to make America great again," and the campaign debut a new logo featuring both names.

Pence's lawyer filed paperwork with the Indiana secretary of state office officially removing him from the governor's race Friday morning.

The Saturday event is currently scheduled to take place in New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan, the campaign announced, after earlier plans to hold the event in New Jersey.

Trump did his best to keep the drama going Thursday after a frenetic day.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence joins Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Westfield, Ind., Tuesday, July 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

"I haven't made my final, final decision," he told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Thursday evening. "I mean, I've got three people that are fantastic. I think Newt (Gingrich) is a fantastic person. I think Chris Christie is a fantastic person, been a friend of mine for 15 years. Just a fantastic person. And there's Mike, and Mike has done a great job as governor of Indiana. You look at the numbers, and it's been great -- he's done really a fantastic job. But I haven't made a final, final decision."

But speaking at a fundraiser in Los Angeles later in the evening, Trump said he had made his pick and the campaign was "ready to announce," according to an attendee. Trump, however, did not say whom he had chosen.

On Wednesday, Trump held a series of auditions with Pence and other top contenders including Christie and Gingrich. And on Thursday, despite sources indicating to CNN that Trump was strongly leaning toward Pence, others in his inner circle -- including Trump's son, Donald Jr. -- repeatedly urged caution.

But by early evening, Trump made the offer.

Trump had initially suggested he would wait until the Republican National Convention to unveil his vice presidential choice, but Indiana law forced his hand. Candidates can't run for both federal and state office after July 15, meaning Pence had to withdraw his name from his re-election race for governor.

Pence's attorney Matt Morgan filed the paperwork Friday with the Indiana Secretary of State's, formally withdrawing him from the governor race.

JUST WATCHED Meet Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Meet Indiana Gov. Mike Pence 00:57

Pence's selection gives Trump a running mate with strong ties to the Republican base -- particularly social conservatives. He was among the first Republicans to embrace the tea party on Capitol Hill. And as governor of Indiana, he faced major political backlash over his decision to sign into law a "religious freedom" measure that infuriated major businesses that saw it as anti-LGBT.

In tapping Pence, Trump adds to the GOP ticket a politician with ties to the Koch brothers and other influential donors who have so far stayed away from Trump.

Pence is seen as a safe political option for Trump, who also considered candidates who mirror his big personality such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. But Pence made clear this week that he's more than willing to play the role of attack dog, strongly criticizing Hillary Clinton during a rally with Trump.

Clinton, Pence told the applauding crowd, "must never become president of the United States."

An endorsement for Trump's rival

Pence had endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz over Trump before Indiana's crucial early May primary -- a contest Trump won, knocking Cruz from the contest and clinching the nomination.

Still, Pence heaped praise on Trump in the WIBC radio interview where he endorsed Cruz, pointing to Trump's focus on Carrier, the Indianapolis air conditioning company that was shipping 2,100 jobs to Mexico.

Pence said Trump has "given voice to the frustration of millions of working Americans with the lack of progress in Washington, D.C."

"Let me be very clear on this race: Whoever wins the Republican nation for president of the United States, I'm going to work my heart out to get elected this fall," Pence said.

He hasn't avoided criticizing Trump, though. He called Trump's attacks on an Indiana-born judge of Mexican heritage "inappropriate," and said his proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States was "offensive and unconstitutional."

JUST WATCHED Trump and Pence have very different styles Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump and Pence have very different styles 01:49

A test of Trump-Pence chemistry

Pence and his wife, Karen, who is also a close adviser, met on July 2 with Trump in person in New Jersey for more than an hour.

"The Pences enjoyed spending warm, productive time with the Trumps," said Pence spokesman Marc Lotter in a statement the following day. "They talked about policies that are working in Indiana and the future of this country. Nothing was offered and nothing was accepted."

Since then, Pence has repeatedly complimented Trump, vowing to help him in the general election.

"I think he is going to be a great president. I think he is someone who has connected with everyday Americans like no one since Ronald Reagan. I think he has spoken into the frustration and the longings of the American people as no one since the 40th president, and I think you're going to continue to see him do that," Pence told reporters Tuesday after an event in Indianapolis.

He also downplayed his disagreements with Trump on policy.

"Look, I served in Congress for 12 years. I've been a governor for three and a half years. I haven't agreed with every one of my Republican colleagues or Democrat colleagues on every issue," Pence said. "But I'm supporting Donald Trump because we need change in this country, and I believe he represents the kind of strong leadership at home and abroad that will, to borrow a phrase, make America great again."

Already, Pence's orbit had begun blending with Trump's. Kellyanne Conway, a long-time Pence consultant, recently joined Trump's campaign. And Marty Obst, Pence's gubernatorial re-election campaign manager, joined Trump's finance team.

Who is Pence?

Pence, 57, was born in Columbus, Indiana, a town about 40 miles south of Indianapolis, where his father ran a chain of gas stations.

After working as an admissions counselor at his alma mater, Hanover College, a liberal arts school in Madison, Indiana, and earning a law degree, Pence campaigned for Congress in 1988 and 1990 -- but lost to Democratic incumbent Rep. Phil Sharp. Those campaigns featured bitter attack ads, including one from Pence's campaign, featuring a man clad in Arab garb thanking Sharp for America's dependence on foreign oil.

He began rehabilitating his political career with a short essay called "Confessions of a Negative Campaigner."

In it, he argued that "your First Amendment rights end at the tip of your opponent's nose."

"A campaign ought to be about the advancement of issues whose success or failure is more significant than that of the candidate," Pence wrote. "Whether on the left or the right, candidates ought to leave a legacy -- a foundation of arguments -- in favor of policies upon which their successors can build. William Buckley carries with him a purposeful malapropism. 'Don't just do something,' it says, 'stand there.' "

Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence announces that the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services had approved the State's waiver request for the plan his administration called HIP 2.0 during a speech in Indianapolis on January 27, 2015. Hide Caption 1 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence, then the Republican candidate for Indiana's 2nd Congressional District, is surrounded by his wife, Karen, right, and family as he addresses supporters on November 7, 2000, in Columbus, Indiana. Pence defeated Democrat Robert Rock in the race to fill the seat vacated by David McIntosh, who held the position from 1995-2001. Hide Caption 2 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence and Republican Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake talk on July 10, 2002, during the markup of the bill which would establish the Department of Homeland Security. Hide Caption 3 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence, Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, and Christopher Shays, R-Connecticut, walk with a bipartisan group of members during a news conference on July 22, 2004, about the release of the 9/11 Commission report. Hide Caption 4 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career From left, Reps. Ted Poe, R-Texas, Mike Pence, R-Indiana, Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, attend a news conference to call for budget offsets to pay for the Hurricane Katrina relief and reconstruction effort. Hide Caption 5 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence speaks at a news conference on September 5, 2008, in Washington. Pence and other House Republicans called on then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to schedule a vote on energy legislation to help lower gasoline prices. Hide Caption 6 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Former Speaker of the House John Boehner hands a copy of the stimulus bill to Pence after the House of Representatives voted to pass it on February 13, 2009. The bill passed the House along a strict party vote of 246-183. Hide Caption 7 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence is joined by his wife, Karen, as he carries his ballot petition signatures to run for governor of Indiana into the Secretary of State's Election Division in Indianapolis on February 6, 2012. Hide Caption 8 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career The three candidates for Indiana governor, Democrat John Gregg, left, Pence and Libertarian Rupert Boneham, gather after a debate in South Bend, Indiana, on October 17, 2012. Hide Caption 9 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence is sworn in as Indiana's 50th governor by Chief Justin Brent E. Dickson as Pence's wife, Karen, and his family look on during a ceremony at the statehouse on January 14, 2013. Hide Caption 10 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence checks off a milestone on May 29, 2013, for a new Ohio River bridge that will connect Indiana to Kentucky, just east of Louisville. Hide Caption 11 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence speaks during a memorial service for former Indiana Rep. Andrew Jacobs Jr. at the statehouse on January 3, 2014. Jacobs died on December 28, 2013, at age 81. Hide Caption 12 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence speaks during the leadership forum at the National Rifle Association's annual convention on April 25, 2014, in Indianapolis. Hide Caption 13 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence formally announces his re-election campaign in Indianapolis on June 18, 2015. The Indiana native, whose status as a national star among conservatives was battered by an outcry over the state's new religious objections law at the time, launched a re-election campaign focused on the state's economy and improving schools. Hide Caption 14 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the legislature at the statehouse on January 12, 2016. Hide Caption 15 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence joins 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Westfield, Indiana, on July 12, 2016. Hide Caption 16 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence shakes hands with Republican presidential candidate Trump after being newly selected as his vice presidential running mate on July 16, 2016, in New York City. Hide Caption 17 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence points to the crowd as he walks on stage to deliver a speech on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Hide Caption 18 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence introduces his running mate, Trump, at a campaign event at Youngstown State University on August 15, 2016, in Youngstown, Ohio. Hide Caption 19 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence looks on before the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on September 26, 2016. Hide Caption 20 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, left, and Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence speak during their debate at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, on October 4, 2016. Hide Caption 21 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence runs onto the stage at a rally on October 25, 2016, in Marietta, Ohio. Hide Caption 22 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career New vice president-elect Mike Pence and President-elect Donald Trump shake hands during an election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of November 9, 2016, in New York City. Hide Caption 23 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence listens as the President-elect speaks during a meeting of technology executives at Trump Tower on December 14, 2016, in New York City. Hide Caption 24 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Trump stands with Pence at a news conference at Trump Tower on January 11, 2017, in New York City. Hide Caption 25 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career The vice president-elect arrives for the presidential inauguration of Trump at the Capitol in Washington on January 20, 2017. Hide Caption 26 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Vice President Mike Pence, his wife, Karen, and their daughter Charlotte arrive for a rally on the National Mall before the start of the 44th annual March for Life on January 27, 2017, in Washington, DC. Hide Caption 27 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence delivers a speech on the second day of the 53rd Munich Security Conference in Munich on February 18, 2017. Hide Caption 28 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence, his wife, Karen, and his daughter Charlotte lay a wreath at the International Memorial of the former Nazi concentration camp of Dachau in southwestern Germany on February 19, 2017. Hide Caption 29 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 23, 2017, in National Harbor, Maryland. Hide Caption 30 of 31 Photos: Mike Pence's political life and career Pence speaks to reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill following a policy lunch on March 7, 2017. Hide Caption 31 of 31

In 1991, Pence became the president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, and in 1993 began his own syndicated radio show based in Rushville, Indiana -- performing as a self-described Rush Limbaugh on decaf.

An early tea party ally

He ran again for Congress in 2000, and this time won -- beginning the six-year tenure for which he's best known in Washington.

By 2009, Pence had risen to become the House Republican Conference chairman, a position he occupied as a leader of the party's socially conservative flank.

He was an early ally of the tea party, and chaired the Republican Study Committee. But as governor, Pence struggled in the shadow of Mitch Daniels, his predecessor who backed away from a presidential campaign of his own in 2014.

Pence, a social conservative, stepped into a series of controversies over LGBT rights.

He advocated a constitutional same-sex marriage ban that the Republican-dominated Indiana legislature decided went too far in limiting LGBT rights. Then Indiana became the subject of a media storm in 2010 when Pence signed into law a "religious freedom" measure that would have allowed companies to assert that their exercise of religion had been violated as a defense if sued for turning away customers. It was championed by social conservatives who saw it as a shield against same-sex marriages, but drew complaints from organizations like the NCAA and Salesforce, a major Indianapolis employer, and national scrutiny. It led Daniels' former campaign manager, Bill Oesterle, to openly speculate about recruiting a primary challenger for Pence.

Pushing through tax cuts

Still, Pence successfully shepherded into law a series of tax cuts in Indiana -- slightly reducing the state's income tax and speeding up the phase-out of its inheritance tax. He's also overseen a state budget that's in the black.

In addition, he persuaded President Barack Obama's administration to accept a state-launched alternative to Medicaid as the vehicle for expanded coverage through Obama's signature health care law. That decision led to some criticism from conservatives, but Pence cast it as a victory over the federal government and for state-based solutions.

Pence has had a fraught relationship with Indiana reporters -- not unlike Trump -- fueled in part by his quickly abandoned 2015 plans to launch a state-run news outlet called "Just IN." Once news of the plan broke, Pence downplayed it as little more than a clearinghouse for news released. But plans drafted by his staff cast it as much more than that, citing "Just IN" as a site that would break state government news ahead of traditional journalists.

In joining Trump's ticket, he leaves Indiana Republicans to replace him in what was expected to be a hard-fought re-election battle against Democratic former state House Speaker John Gregg.