Dan Nowicki, and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

The Republic | azcentral.com

CLEVELAND — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who on Wednesday is set to accept the Republican Party's vice-presidential nomination, has long been considered a star to pro-growth, fiscal conservatives across the country.

But to many members of Arizona's GOP delegation to the Republican National Convention, Pence was not a household name before incoming presidential nominee Donald Trump tapped him to join the ticket.

Several Arizona Republican delegates indicated Monday that although they didn't know much about Pence — who served 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before running for governor of Indiana — they also didn't question Trump's judgment.

John Rosado, a delegate from north Phoenix, said his first choice for Trump's VP would have been former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Rosado said he doesn’t know much about Pence beyond the highlights of his political career, which are good enough for him.

“I trust Trump to pick what he needs,” he said. “I know Pence is a conservative, and that’s what I like about this ticket. It’s the choice between conservatives or … Hillary 'Lying' Clinton," the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, one of Trump's highest-profile supporters from Arizona, also said he is more familiar with Gingrich. In 1995, Arpaio made headlines by playing videos of Gingrich's 10-part lecture series titled "Renewing American Civilization" to county jail inmates.

Asked if he thought Gingrich would have been a better choice, Arpaio said: "Well, you know, it's up to Donald Trump to decide. He knows what he's doing."

Pence, 57, was chairman of the Republican Study Committee, or House conservative caucus, during his time in the U.S. House.

As Indiana governor, he signed controversial religious-freedom legislation that was widely perceived as anti-gay and initiated a national backlash.

Christopher Morrill, an Arizona delegate from south Phoenix, likes Pence as the V.P. candidate, although he took issue with Pence’s subsequent decision to revise the religious liberty bill. Morrill said he has not been “a big Trump supporter,” in part because of his “personal attacks” on individuals over policy.

The addition of Pence to the ticket makes it not as bad, he said.

“I think out of the ones he actually considered, Pence is probably the one that I thought would be the best," he said.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who leads the state's delegation in Cleveland, said he's a big Pence fan, saying his experience in Congress and as a governor is a plus.

"He's a full-spectrum conservative," Ducey said Monday. "... He's an excellent communicator, and I think it was a really good pick."

Jack Harper, a former state legislator in Cleveland as an alternate delegate, likewise said Pence’s credentials as a former congressman and governor give heft to the ticket.

“If there is a chance for funding the border wall, it lies with Pence,” he said. “Paul Ryan has a responsibility to keep the Republican Party as the majority in Congress. I think Mike Pence can put that issue over the top,” using his relationships and experience in Washington to get it done.

But Russ Clark, a delegate from Yuma, was among those still trying to figure out precisely what he adds to the ticket.

“It’s an unknown,” said Clark, a member of the Yuma County Board of Supervisors.

Asked if the VP pick even mattered, he said, “Yes, it does. It’s a reflection of Trump and what he’s looking for. When I’m looking at (Pence), I’m looking at what character and quality did Trump see in this gentlemen? What was he trying to balance out? Why did he need him on the ticket?”