Associated Press reporter Mike Smith answers that question in his weekly take from the Statehouse:
When major party candidates for governor in Indiana announce the choice for their lieutenant governor running mates - or when word leaks out - it almost always makes a big splash in the media.
That's in part because it usually ends weeks of speculation by political observers, including reporters, on who will complete the team and how that person might help the gubernatorial candidate win.
Indeed, running mates might influence the choice that some people make when voting for governor. But is it a big factor for most voters? Probably not.
"It's not a significant kind of election-changing choice, like this means someone will win," said Ed Feigenbaum, a political analyst and a former staff director for the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors. "People make decisions on the merits of the person leading the ticket."
Feigenbaum said the first rule in selecting a running mate is picking someone who will do no harm - and who will not overshadow the principal candidate.
