By Ann Marie Shambaugh
As the presidential election season heats up, so did the hundreds of Donald Trump supporters who crammed into his new campaign office in Carmel Aug. 26 to hear from his vice presidential choice, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
Attendees passed around popsicles and water to stay cool in the sweltering standing-room-only crowd as Pence addressed voters from his home state.
“It’s been an amazing experience for us to be able to travel across this country and not only tell the story of this campaign, but as my running mate tells me every day of the week, telling Indiana’s story, being able to say to the American people that we can make America great again,” Pence said. “We can have a national government that’s as good as our people, because we’ve done that here in Indiana.”
Pence kept his remarks brief, urging supporters to pray for fellow Hoosiers affected by the recent tornados and encourage friends and neighbors to get out and vote.
“I want to go easy on you, because even before I arrived there was enough hot air in this room,” Pence joked.
The governor joined leaders from the Indiana Trump campaign for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new office at 12477 N. Meridian St. in the Hamilton Crossing Centre. He then spent time greeting voters, shaking hands and taking photos.
Nancy Sandquist of Carmel arrived early enough to grab a spot near the front of the room. She said she is glad to see a Trump campaign office in her hometown.
“(Trump) tells it like it is,” Sandquist said. “I think Washington needs to have a good clean out, and I think he’s the one that’s going to do it. We don’t need more of the same, that’s for sure.”
Roy Edwards, a Fishers resident and lifelong Republican, said he believes the Carmel office is a good fit for the Trump campaign. He came out to see the governor and said supports the Trump campaign in part because of its consistent message.
“I know what I’m getting up front,” he said. “I’m not being lied to. He just tells it how it is right from the beginning and hasn’t changed this whole entire time.”
