Donald Trump is running out of time to pick a potential vice-presidential candidate. With the Republican national convention a week away, Trump has to choose a running mate. But Trump, who has divided his party, is picking from a limited list. Although his campaign has long been cagey about potential vice-presidential picks, these are five of the most likely choices for Trump in Cleveland.



Newt Gingrich

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich at a campaign event in New Hampshire in 2012. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

Age: 73



Family: The twice-divorced Gingrich has been married for 16 years to his third wife, Callista. He has two daughters with his first wife, Jackie, who was his high school teacher.



Claim to fame: Gingrich became the first Republican speaker of the House in a half century when he led the Republican Revolution of 1994. As speaker, Gingrich was a national figure and the face of GOP opposition to Bill Clinton in the 1990s.

Political experience: In addition to serving as speaker for four years from 1995 to 1999, the former 10-term congressman from Georgia was a Republican presidential candidate in 2012. He won South Carolina and his home state of Georgia.



Strengths: Gingrich is a Washington veteran who is a cable news fixture. The author of more than two dozen books will add intellectual heft and government experience to a candidate who has lacked both.



Weaknesses: Gingrich is prone to going off-message and making outlandish and occasionally incoherent statements. Further, he is even older than Trump and has had just as many wives.



Chris Christie

Age: 53

Family: Christie has been married to his wife Mary Pat for 30 years and has two sons and two daughters.

Claim to fame: The two-term New Jersey governor was first elected in the Garden State in 2009 as a straight-talking breath of fresh air who could invigorate a Republican party dispirited by the rise of Barack Obama.

Political experience: Prior to his 2009 election, Christie was the US attorney for New Jersey for six years. He also served one term as a local elected official in Morris County, New Jersey, from 1995 to 1997.



Strengths: Christie has built a reputation for his brash-talking persona and might help among blue-collar north-easterners.



Weaknesses: Since endorsing Trump in February, Christie has been viewed as toady, reportedly even fetching McDonald’s for the Republican nominee. Plus, he’s still a subject of ongoing investigation related to the Bridgegate scandal and several of his close associates are facing trial. In addition, Christie is viewed skeptically by social conservatives.

Mike Pence

Indiana governor Mike Pence in Indianapolis last year. Photograph: Michael Conroy/AP

Age: 57

Family: Pence has been married for 31 years and has three children.

Claim to fame: The first-term governor of Indiana has been an ardent social conservative best known for signing and then pushing for revisions to the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which many argued would allow businesses to discriminate against LGBT customers.

Political experience: Before being elected governor in 2012, Pence served 12 years in Congress and spent two years in leadership as the chair of House Republican Conference.



Strengths: Pence has strong social conservative credentials, and as a former Cruz endorser he might aid Trump with a wing of the party that has long been skeptical of the New York businessman. Further, he brings both executive and legislative experience.



Weaknesses: Pence is relatively little known outside his home state and is comparatively unpopular there. While Pence may help Trump with the Republican base, he does little to help Trump with swing voters, particularly suburban women.



Scott Brown

Scott Brown while running for US Senate in New Hampshire in 2014. Photograph: Jim Cole/AP

Age: 56



Family: Brown has two daughters with his wife Gail, one of whom, Ayla, was a contestant on American Idol in 2006.



Claim to fame: Brown was a surprise winner in a 2010 special election for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat. His victory deprived Democrats of the 60-vote supermajority needed in the US Senate to avoid filibuster and was a major impediment in the Democratic effort to pass healthcare reform. He lost his 2012 bid for a full term to Elizabeth Warren.

Political experience: In addition to his stint in the Senate, Brown spent 12 years in the Massachusetts state house. He also was the Republican nominee for US Senate in New Hampshire in 2014. He moved to the Granite State in 2013 after losing his bid for re-election.

Strengths: Brown, a Fox News contributor, is telegenic and has strong retail politics skills. He also could help Trump in his adopted home state of New Hampshire, which is a swing state.

Weaknesses: Brown is not considered to have strong policy chops. Further, the former Massachusetts senator is pro-choice, a stance that will raise red flags among many social conservatives who have long been skeptical of Trump. His comparatively brief stint in Washington doesn’t help ease concerns about Trump’s lack of political experience either.



Marsha Blackburn

Age: 64



Family: Blackburn is married with a son and a daughter.



Claim to Fame: Blackburn is the longest-serving female Republican congresswoman ever elected from Tennessee.

Political experience: Blackburn has served seven terms in the House and previously served one term in the Tennessee state senate.



Strengths: Blackburn would not only bring congressional experience and social conservative credibility to the ticket but would also help Trump appeal to women, a demographic he has struggled with.



Weaknesses: Blackburn is a relative unknown who is on the record saying that she does not believe in evolution.