House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN), a potential presidential candidate, has waded into the Republican Senate primary in his home state to endorse former Sen. Dan Coats.
“Dan Coats’ integrity and conservative record make him the best candidate for the job. Dan is a proven conservative leader who is trusted by Hoosiers,” Pence said in a statement. “I know Dan Coats well and I have long admired his personal faith, his devotion to family and his service to the people of Indiana.”
This puts Pence on the opposite side of many conservative activists, such as Red State’s Erick Erickson, who are supporting state Sen. Marlin Stutzman, and who consider the Senator-turned-lobbyist Coats to be a Washington insider. But as Pence notes in his endorsement, he’s known Coats for a long time.
