..along with gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory and Sen. Richard Burr.

HPE coverage:

The economy was on the minds of many in the crowd, including Cheryl Suggs of Graham, who said she liked the selection of Ryan as running mate because of his credentials as a fiscal conservative.

“My husband is an electrical contractor and we’ve had people laid off since January, off and on,” Suggs said. “Even when Jimmy Carter was president, it wasn’t this bad. It seems to be picking up some now, but who knows?”