Pence shocks: 'I started out in politics as a Democrat'

By Anna Giaritelli, Anna Giaritelli

Published July 16, 2016

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence admitted Friday he was not always a bonafide member of the GOP.

"I started out in politics as a Democrat," Pence told "Fox News" host Sean Hannity in his first interview since Donald Trump picked him as his running mate. "But as I came up I started to hear Ronald Reagan's capacity to articulate American ideals and I was drawn in to the Republican Party."

Pence cited his evolution from liberal to conservative as evidence he was not the "divisive" Republican that presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton claimed he was earlier Friday.

"I'm a conservative, but I'm not in a bad mood about it," Pence said. "Throughout my career, I've tried to stand for those principles."