This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Leading Utah conservatives say Donald Trump's selection of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate bolsters their confidence in the Republican ticket, making them more comfortable with a candidate they've found hard to embrace.
"This really, really helps," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who has said he would vote for Trump but has kept the candidate at an arm's length. Chaffetz is not attending the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday in Cleveland.
"This is something I can be very enthusiastic about," said the Utah congressman, who considers Pence a friend. "It moves a lot of conservatives from 'Let's just defeat Hillary Clinton' to 'Here, is a ticket we can believe in.' "
Pence spent six terms in the House before being elected governor in 2012. He also served two years as the chairman of the House Republican Conference.
"As the nation gets to know him, they are going to know what a man of integrity he really is," Chaffetz said. "For those who have followed politics, he is a solid conservative and one of the best people we have at articulating the Republican, conservative message."
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert also said this vice presidential pick makes him more likely to back Trump, whom he has yet to endorse.
"Where Mr. Trump is a little deficient in some areas of concern that I have, I think Gov. Pence fills in some of those conservative credentials that I thought ought to be there," Herbert said during a break in a National Governors Association meeting in Iowa, pointing to Pence's congressional and executive experience along with his conservative stances on fiscal and social issues.
"He brings that conservative attitude," Herbert said, "which I think will be more appreciated in Utah and frankly with Republicans throughout the country."
Trump has found it tough to win over Utah Republicans. He finished a distant third in the state's presidential GOP caucus and has struggled in the polls, narrowly leading or tying Democrat Clinton in one of the reddest states in the nation. Many leading Utah Republicans have found his temperament off-putting and questioned his past positions on issues such as abortion and gun control, while opposing his idea on blocking Muslims from entering the country.
Of the 40 Utahns going to the Cleveland convention, none has embraced the presumptive GOP nominee. And Chaffetz is far from the only high-profile Utah Republican who decided to skip the gathering. Reps. Mia Love and Chris Stewart took a pass, as did Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, who has vowed to vote for a third party or write in a name rather than vote for Trump or Clinton.
Rep. Rob Bishop is going and has said he would vote for Trump, though, like Chaffetz, he hasn't been effusive in his praise. He did applaud the selection of Pence, who is a more traditional Republican and has endeared himself to tea party groups.
"Gov. Pence has been in state government and he clearly understands federalism. Those are important considerations to me," Bishop said. "This is an indication that Trump is serious about trying to govern, and it's nice to have someone on the ticket who actually knows who I am."