Who Is Mike Pence?

Gov. Mike Pence has been hard at work on the campaign trail with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and on Thursday several outlets reported Trump has chosen Pence as his running mate.

Trump's campaign claims he has yet to make a decision and will announce his formal pick Friday morning, but savvy news-watchers noted that early reports included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who, along with Pence, is a top contender for the position, and "the nominee for vice president" speaking on the third night of the Republican National Convention.

Here are 11 things to know about Mike Pence:

1. He's the governor of Indiana.
Pence has served as the governor of the Hoosier State since 2013. Before that, he represented Indiana's 2nd and 6th Districts in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. A lawyer by trade, he grew up a Catholic Democrat. He admired John F. Kennedy and voted for Jimmy Carter in 1980 before experiencing a political and religious conversion. He ran for Congress in 1988 and 1990 but lost both times to Democratic incumbent Phil Sharp.

2. He is not a friend of the LGBT community.
Pence signed into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, which has come under intense fire for appearing to allow discrimination against people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Though Pence attempted to clarify the purpose of the bill, he declined to answer whether the law makes it legal to refuse to serve a gay customer. He has also expressed opposition to LGBT people serving in the military. "Homosexuality is incompatible with military service because the presence of homosexuals in the ranks weakens unit cohesion," Pence said in 2000 in his agenda for the 107th Congress. Further, the Human Rights Campaign gave him a "0" on his Congressional Scorecard for not supporting its position on any issue for at least three years, according to the pro-LGBT organization's archives.

3. He is a big supporter of Israel.
Pence visited Israel in December 2014, saying, "The strong and broad bipartisan support for the state of Israel I know will be reflected in decisions that our Congress makes in the months ahead." This year, Pence signed a bill that prohibits Indiana from doing business with companies that boycott Israel.

4. Women called his office to tell him about their periods.
In April, Pence signed a bill into law that prohibits women from having an abortion based on a fetus' race, sex, ancestry or disability status. Citing the fact that "any period could potentially be a miscarriage without knowledge" because "fertilized eggs can be expelled during a woman's period without a woman even knowing that she might have had the potential blastocyst in her," women in Indiana took it upon themselves to report their menstrual cycles to Pence's office.

5. He expanded Medicaid in Indiana.
Pence accepted federal funding to expand health insurance coverage for low-income families in the Hoosier state. He had participants pay a monthly premium to offset costs, which The Hill says put a conservative spin on a largely liberal move. Still, Obama’s chief spokesman, Josh Earnest, praised Pence for the expansion Thursday, saying expanding Medicaid in his state is "something President Obama has been encouraging Democratic and Republican governors across the country to do."

6. He likened the Supreme Court's upholding of Obamacare to 9/11.
In a closed-door House GOP meeting in 2012, Pence compared the upholding of President Barack Obama's health care law to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. "My remarks at the Republican Conference following the Supreme Court decision were thoughtless," he told Politico immediately afterward. I certainly did not intend to minimize any tragedy our nation has faced and I apologize."

7. He once said global warming is a myth.
In 2001, Pence said in a statement on his website that "global warming is a myth" and that the "environmental movement has found [in climate change] a new chant for their latest 'chicken little' attempt to raise taxes and grow centralized governmental power."

8. He doesn't support Trump's Muslim ban.
Pence tweeted in December that he does not support Trump's "total and complete ban" on Muslims entering the U.S.:

9. He tried to bar Syrian refugees from resettling in Indiana.
Three days after the terror attacks in Paris, Pence barred Syrian refugees from entry into Indiana “to ensure the safety and security of all Hoosiers.” He later admitted that he could not block Syrians who have been admitted to America – many after months of screening – into the state.

10. He proposed a state-run news service.
Pence wanted to institute a state-run, taxpayer-funded news service in Indiana called JustIN, a move that drew swift and decisive criticism from both sides of the aisle. Pence shut down the operation due to the backlash, stressing that it was "well intentioned."

11. He endorsed Ted Cruz for President.
Though he did so halfheartedly, Pence endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas for president over Donald Trump in April. "I'm not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming primary," he said in a radio interview. A few days later, Pence reiterated his support for Cruz.