Pence shakes hands at Toledo airport
8/14/2018
Vice President Mike Pence, center, greets supporters and others as he arrives with U.S. Representative and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Renacci at Toledo Express Airport in Swanton on Tuesday.
THE BLADE/KURT STEISS
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It’s always a scene when a visitor from the White House comes into town.
Local elected officials and a crowd of supporters greeted Vice President Mike Pence at Toledo Express Airport Tuesday as he made his way from Air Force Two and across the roasting tarmac to his waiting motorcade flanked by at least a dozen secret service agents.
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The vice president was in town for a private fund-raiser and did not address the media. He shook hands and chatted with supporters far away from television cameras and the press.
“I just heard great job Pence, keep up the good work,” said Cindy Waite, 49. “And I heard, ‘I want to take a selfie.’”
He was greeted at the airport by Lucas County GOP chairman Mark Wagoner and state Reps. Theresa Gavarone (R., Bowling Green) and Derek Merrin (R., Monclova Township).
“Welcoming him back to the area was an honor,” said Ms. Gavarone, who greeted Mr. Pence when he arrived in Toledo two years ago.
Mr. Pence was headed to a fund-raiser in Perrysburg for U.S. Senate hopeful Jim Renacci.
“I told him ‘Thank you for your service’ and he said ‘Thank you. It’s going to be your time some day,” said Justin Schnebelen, 18, who is considering studying politics in the fall at Boston College. “It was one of the coolest moments of my life.”
Contact Liz Skalka at lskalka@theblade.com, 419-724-6199, or on Twitter @lizskalka.