Pence: I'm 'a Christian, a Conservative and a Republican'

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Donald Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, introduced himself to the Republican National Convention -- and to Americans elsewhere -- as a "a Christian, a Conservative and a Republican" and said that the presidential nominee "gets it."

"I am deeply humbled by your confidence, and on behalf of my family here and gone, I accept your nomination to run and serve as Vice President of the United States of America," Pence told the crowd.

Tonight's speech comes six days after Trump announced that Pence was his vice presidential pick via Twitter.

"Honestly I never thought I'd be standing here. I thought I'd be spending this evening with all my friends from the great state of Indiana," he said

Pence got a few laughs early on in his speech, noting some of the obvious question marks that came along with his selection: how different he is from Trump and his lack of national profile.

"You know, he's a man known for his large personality, a colorful style, and lots of charisma, and so, well, I guess he was looking for someone to balance the ticket," Pence said.

"Well, for those of you who don't know me, which is most of you, I grew up on the front row of the American dream."

Pence was introduced by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who was the vice presidential candidate at the 2012 Republican National Convention.