FACTBOX: Possible Republican vice presidential candidates
Aug 19 (Reuters) - Arizona Sen. John McCain, who began his search for a vice presidential running mate shortly after securing his status as the presumptive Republican nominee in March, is close to announcing his choice.
Following is a list of Republicans who have been mentioned as possible vice presidential candidates:
* Charlie Crist, 52 - The Florida governor helped McCain win the nomination with his endorsement and might help him in a battleground state that could go either Republican or Democratic in the November 4 election. The former Florida attorney general, who notched an easy first-term gubernatorial victory in 2006, is a vibrant campaigner. But he could face trouble with the more conservative wing of the party because of questions about his views on abortion.
* Carly Fiorina, 53 - Once the most powerful businesswoman in the United States, Fiorina has evolved from McCain's top economic adviser to a catch-all advocate on a range of subjects. The former Hewlett-Packard chief executive is a visible presence on the campaign trail. Fiorina could provide diversity to the ticket but she has very little political experience.
* Mike Huckabee, 52 - The former Arkansas governor battled McCain for the party's presidential nomination and was the last major candidate to withdraw. The Baptist preacher is a social conservative who has support from the party's evangelical Christian base and is strong in the South.
* Bobby Jindal, 37 - Louisiana's governor and the first Indian-American elected head of a U.S. state. The Oxford-educated conservative would add youth and diversity to the Republican ticket. His domestic health policy experience would be a plus, but he might be seen as being too young, especially in contrast to 71-year-old McCain.
* Joe Lieberman, 66 - The senator from Connecticut has already run once for vice president -- as the losing Democratic candidate in 2000. But he ran afoul of many Democrats over his strong support for the Iraq war and was denied his party's nomination for re-election to the Senate in 2006. With Republican support, he was sent back to Congress as an independent. Although he caucuses with the Democrats, he has been a strong supporter of McCain and might appeal to independents.
* Tim Pawlenty, 47 - The two-term Minnesota governor and early and steadfast McCain supporter would appeal to social conservatives. He could help with a Midwestern battleground state, although Pawlenty has never been a big vote-getter in his home state and won re-election by only 1 percentage point.
* Robert Portman, 52 - The former congressman from Ohio was the U.S. trade representative and budget director under President George W. Bush. A fiscal conservative, Portman could give McCain needed economic policy strength and would help in Ohio, a battleground state. But his history with the Bush administration might be a drawback for McCain, who has resisted Democratic efforts to portray his presidential bid as an attempt at a "third Bush term."
* Tom Ridge, 62 - The former Pennsylvania governor came to Washington after the September 11 attacks to be Bush's homeland security adviser. He was later named as first secretary of homeland security when the department was created. Ridge is a popular politician in a key battleground state, but his support for abortion rights would be unpopular with conservatives.
* Mitt Romney, 61 - The former Massachusetts governor lost the nomination to McCain. But Romney might have problems because of questions about his Mormon faith and because he once supported abortion rights. The businessman, who pumped about $35 million of his own fortune into his presidential bid, could do the same for a vice presidential campaign or help McCain with fundraising. The former head of a private equity firm who also ran the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Romney would bring management experience to the ticket.
* John Thune, 47 - The senator from South Dakota would appeal to conservatives but McCain may not want to choose another senator as his running mate. After narrowly defeating the leader of the U.S. Senate Democrats, Tom Daschle, in 2004, Thune was seen as a giant-killer, which gained him clout in the party. However, he is not very well known nationally.
(Reporting by Deborah Charles; editing by David Wiessler and Mohammad Zargham)
