Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has formally accepted the Republican nomination for vice president.

Pence was self-deprecating in his remarks, joking that the charismatic Donald Trump must have been looking for balance when he chose Pence as his running mate.

Pence told the crowd that Republicans were being honest with Americans about the stakes in the election, and Hillary Clinton will never serve as president.

He also emphasized the importance of a Republican picking the next Supreme Court of the U.S. justices, especially with regards to the Second Amendment and "the sanctity of life" — abortion.

The next president will fill, at the very least, one vacant seat. However, he may pick more.

Whoever wins the election could end up re-shaping the Supreme Court for the next few decades.

Florida is well-represented on the primetime speaker list for Day 3 of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Gov. Rick Scott started off the night, and Attorney General Pam Bondi followed a few speakers after. Sen. Marco Rubio also spoke via video from here in Florida, where he is campaigning for re-election.

The theme of the third night is "Make America First Again." Scott's speech emphasized the problems that the Republicans say are evident in today's America.

“Today, America is in terrible, world-record-high debt. Our economy is not growing. Our jobs are going overseas. We have allowed our military to decay, and we project weakness on the international stage. Washington grows while the rest of America struggles. The Democrats have not led us to a crossroads, they have led us to a cliff,” Scott said.

Scott was one of the first Republican leaders to endorse Trump, and some spoke of him as a possible running mate.

One of the most highly anticipated speeches of the night came from Sen. Ted Cruz, perhaps Trump's fiercest rival and the runner-up in the primary. Cruz stopped short of endorsing Trump, telling voters to vote for conscience. Boos welled up from the audience as Cruz left.

Trump's surrogates say Cruz lied, should have endorsed Trump, and behaved disgracefully in his speech.

Cruz's campaign, however, insists they told the Trump campaign there would be no endorsement.

The Associated Press reports Cruz informed Trump himself during a phone conversation two days ago. That's according to Cruz strategist Jason Johnson.

Another former presidential candidate, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, told the crowd that a vote for a third party, or staying at home, was a vote for Hillary Clinton.

Watch Mike Pence's acceptance speech and scroll down for more news.

 

The Latest

All updates from the Associated Press in EDT:

11:25 p.m.

It came as no surprise to Donald Trump's campaign when rival Ted Cruz refused to endorse the GOP presidential nominee at the party's convention Wednesday night.

Cruz informed Trump of his plans during a telephone conversation they had two days ago. That's according to Cruz strategist Jason Johnson.

Inside the convention arena, Cruz heard lots of boos when he finished his speech without explicitly endorsing Trump.

Cruz called on Republicans to vote their conscience and support GOP candidate on the ballot who support the Constitution.

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11:10 p.m.

Donald Trump has given running mate Mike Pence an air kiss at the conclusion of the Indiana governor's speech at the GOP convention.

Trump came onstage as Pence finished speaking. Pence's teleprompter displayed the stage direction "embrace" just after his final words.

After the momentary affection, Trump and Pence shook hands and stood together briefly onstage before Trump exited.

Pence took a moment onstage with his family to smile at the audience before exiting.

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11:05 p.m.

Mike Pence is framing the November presidential race as crucial to defining the makeup of the Supreme Court for the next 40 years.

The GOP vice presidential nominee says voters must ensure that it's Donald Trump picking the next high court justices.

The Indiana governor says Democrat Hillary Clinton would choose justices who would take unconstitutional actions.

He says it's crucial to elect Trump to protect the Second Amendment, "the sanctity of life" and other liberties.

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11 p.m.

The Republican vice presidential nominee is calling Hillary Clinton the "secretary of the status quo."

Mike Pence once swore off negative campaigning. But the Indiana governor is really going after Clinton in his GOP convention speech Wednesday night.

Pence says Democrats are going with a stale agenda and the most predictable candidate.

Pence is playing on one of Trump's most well-known catchphrase. He says that under Trump, change in the country will be "huge."

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Trump back in Cleveland

Donald Trump arrived at the GOP Convention via helicopter, landing mid-afternoon Wednesday in Cleveland. He was greeted by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, his choice to be vice president.

Amid the attempts to show Trump as a strong leader, the GOP is also turning the real estate giant into a family man. 

Trump's wife, Melania and two of his children made speeches so far this week. Eric Trump will continue that tonight.  

His 22-year-old daughter Tiffany Trump called her father a “natural-born encourager” Tuesday while Donald Trump Jr. spoke about how he tackles problems.

And in Melania Trump’s speech, she talked about her husband’s love for America and how he wants to make a “great and lasting difference.”

Trump's 32-year-old son Eric called his father his hero, and said his father was the one candidate for president who did not need the job.

Demonstration leads to 17 arrests, 2 officers hurt

A demonstration led to altercations which briefly shut down security at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Police tried to disperse a demonstration outside the event Wednesday that included a flag-burning. Two officers suffered minor injuries.

Police said after the protester lit the flag on fire, he lit himself on fire and others caught fire. Firefighters extinguished the flames.

Cleveland police say 17 protesters were arrested on charges ranging from felonious assault on a police officer to resisting arrest. A total of 22 people have been arrested throughout the entire convention.

Police say the massive media presence is making it difficult for officers to police demonstrations.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.