So, this past Thursday it was ostensibly confirmed that Mike Pence is going to be the vice presidential candidate for the GOP, pending the outcome of the Republican Convention on July 18. This is big news primarily because, for a bit, the Trump running mate discussion was centered on Former Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Mike Pence’s consideration came seemingly from nowhere and he moved move swiftly from loose consideration to the short list, to the presumptive choice in a very short period of time.

As a resident of Indiana, this is a very shocking and interesting bit of news. Politically, this a very smart move for Mr. Trump because it scoops up the conservative Christian demographic. Trump has been very careful to avoid jumping on the GOP anti-LGBT narrative. In contrast, Governor Pence has no issue ruffling the feathers of the LGBT community. The two are a perfect match. Pence’s signage of the RFRA – the controversial Religious Freedom vs. LGBT rights bill that took center stage last March – firmly established his conservative stance on religious freedoms and LGBT equality. Pence is also a champion of most all of the other Republican Party platform points including lessening gun restrictions, applying extremely limiting abortion restrictions, and attempting to bar Syrian refugees from settling in Indiana.

For the Governor, this opportunity is both good and bad. It’s good for him in the sense that he is finally on the national stage, something that he has been trying to achieve for quite a while now. The bad news, though, is that he has now tied his name to Trump’s, which some say is a very dangerous gamble. Trump is very far removed from the more established politicians of his party and losing this bid for president wouldn’t destroy his career. However, a loss would probably very effectively derail Pence’s political ambitions train.

However, Pence’s selection affects more than just the national political field. It also tacitly shakes up state politics as well. The gubernatorial race is blown wide open at this point; Pence can’t rerun for governor and run for the vice-president at the same time so the Republican Party now has to scramble for a new nominee. John Gregg, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, is now fighting blind but this presents an ideal opportunity for him to campaign unopposed for a short period of time.

So, how does this affect us as citizens of Indiana? It is very important that we vote in all of our local elections come November. It’s also important to pay very close attention to the candidates for state congress and the candidates for governor. For liberal voters, this is a remarkable chance for us to show the rest of the nation that Indiana should not be ostensibly lumped with the rest of the hardpan conservative states. We have an opportunity to shake things up a bit. Now, chances are things won’t change all that much for our state but we could make it a real battleground opportunity in national and state elections. I’ve seen more than a few “Fire Mike Pence” signs around Marion and Vigo Counties, two of our state’s largest counties. If Pence was fighting a hard battle here in his home state, what does that mean for his national chances?

What does this mean for us as citizens of the country? It means that the GOP has its lineup set and ready to go. In a nutshell, you have your the strangely charismatic economic powerhouse that is Trump, complete with his flippant attitude towards political correctness coupled with a shining symbol of the GOP establishment, Pence. However, perhaps in preparation for the VP announcement, former Senator Evan Bayh is entering the race for the Indiana’s United States Senate seat. This late entry thoroughly knocks around Republican Todd Young’s own bid, thus increasing the Democrats chances of taking back the Senate.

These are some interesting times for the state of Indiana and for our nation. Changes are being made and action must be taken. Consider these things as we head to the polls in November! Stay tuned!