In tight race, Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk steps away from GOP

" Sen. Mark Kirk made his second appearance in Chicago's gay Pride Parade this year. He broke ranks to support Democrat-backed gun control measures and called his party's presumptive presidential nominee "too bigoted and racist" for the job.

Political outsider Trump introducing insider Mike Pence as running mate

His running mate largely unknown to the public, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is introducing Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a steady conservative with governing experience inside and outside of Washington. Trump and Pence will appear together Saturday morning at a midtown Manhattan hotel, an unofficial kickoff event to the Republican National Convention two days before it opens in Cleveland.

Trump insists Pence was ‘my first choice from the start’

Donald Trump Clinton video mocks Trump's VP indecision Convention puts GOP tech to the test Joint Clinton, DNC group raises M in quarter MORE on Saturday insisted Indiana Gov. Mike Pence was his first choice for a running mate, as reports emerge that he considered changing his VP pick at the last second. Trump called Pence "my first choice from start" in a tweet hyping Saturday's joint press conference with the Indiana governor.

Trump, Pence set to make debut as Republican ticket

Donald Trump publicly introduces new running mate Mike Pence on Saturday, two days before the start of the Republican National Convention. "Look forward to introducing Governor Mike Pence ," Trump tweeted Saturday.

Greetings, conventioneers! Your party is even bigger! An update: Mike Polk Jr.

Greetings, convention attendees! On behalf of the RNC Host Committee, we welcome you to Cleveland! We could not possibly be more excited about everything that's going on with the Republican party right now, and we're thrilled about our candidate this year! We mean it! Everything is great! Huzzah! We understand that by now most of you have already received your official convention programs. However, we have added even more exciting events and attractions since our initial printing.

How Picking Mike Pence As VP Might Cost The Trump Campaign Donations

Presidential nominees choose vice presidential running mates for what they add to the ticket, whether it be experience or the capacity to draw votes. Here's what Mike Pence might subtract from this fall's Republican ticket with Donald Trump: an unknowable amount of campaign cash from the financial services industry.

AP news guide: 2 US House races spotlight Michigan primary

Two open U.S. House seats highlight the primary election in Michigan, where the Republican winner of a Thumb-area seat will have a clear path to Congress while the victors in the state's expansive northern district will contend in a competitive race in November. The Aug. 2 primary also will set the stage this fall for control of the state House, which Democrats are eager to win after years of GOP rule.

Securing flights to Havana opens doors for Tampa Bay region

It is heartening to see the Tampa Bay region come together for a cause and win, as happened this month with the announcement that Tampa International Airport will likely host daily commercial flights to Havana as early as this fall. The list of those who should take a bow is long.

White House contenders Trump and Pence to address America

Donald Trump and his running mate will present themselves to America as the Republican team that will take on Hillary Clinton and her Democratic sidekick for the US presidency in November. Billionaire businessman Mr Trump announced Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate on Friday, adding an experienced politician with deep Washington connections to the party presidential ticket.

Pence ready to make the case for Trump

Gov. Mike Pence showed in his first national interview after being tapped as Donald Trump's running mate that he understands his job. Pence ready to make the case for Trump Gov. Mike Pence showed in his first national interview after being tapped as Donald Trump's running mate that he understands his job.

GOP can ignore the debt, but it won’t ignore our children

Four years ago, when Republicans gathered in Tampa to endorse Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as their party's vice-presidential nominee, it signaled the growing prominence that the debt issue had gained within the party. For decades, Republicans had sounded alarms about runaway spending, while in practice, they avoided doing anything to reform entitlements - the true driver of the nation's long-term debt problem.

Parents Feel Powerless In Recovering Abducted Children

A House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee met Thursday to address the alarming issue of international parental child abduction of children born in the United States and taken against their will by one of their own parents to foreign countries. Four parents of abducted children offered testimonies before the subcommittee as many more stood in the back of the room holding posters of their own children who have been abducted.

The Shadow Campaign Inside the Closed-Door Rules Meetings in Cleveland

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney along with vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan wave on stage after accepting the nomination during the final day of the Republican National Convention on August 30, 2012 in Tampa, Fla. As delegates, grassroots activists and party insiders converged on Cleveland ahead of next week's Republican National Convention , a last-ditch attempt to throw Donald Trump 's nomination for president into jeopardy fizzled, but the attempted power play was more about a shadow campaign for the 2020 presidential election than anything else, ABC News has learned.