PROVIDENCE — Governor Carcieri was enthusiastic yesterday about John McCain’s choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate, but other Rhode Island Republican delegates to the Republican National Convention said they know little about her record and don’t know yet what to make of her candidacy.

“Governor Palin is an excellent choice,” Republican Carcieri said in a statement. “Sue and I have had the pleasure and honor to get to know Governor Palin and her family over the past few years, most recently at the National Governor’s Conference 100th meeting in Philadelphia. She is bright, articulate and a real rising star in the Republican Party.

“As a wife, mother, and a leader, she is a great role model for all young women in America.”

While Carcieri has met Palin, 44, who has been Alaska’s governor for less than two years, other state Republicans have not.

“To be quite honest with you, until it became public about an hour ago, I had probably never heard of her,” said Christine Callahan, of Middletown, a former state representative and McCain convention delegate.

“I do think it was a good decision on his part to select a woman,” said Callahan. “And I can’t believe Senator McCain would have chosen her without putting a lot of research and study into who the selection should be.”

Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian said he, too, knows little of Palin’s record. “This comes out of nowhere. I really don’t know much about her.”

Avedisian said he is disappointed that Palin opposes abortion and is an adherent of creationism. “Her pro-life stance bothers me, but there was no chance that a pro-choice candidate could have been picked.”

The Warwick mayor said he would rather have seen Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, Tom Ridge, the onetime Pennsylvania governor and homeland security czar, or former New Jersey governor and Environmental Protection Agency director Christine Whitman.

But, Avedisian said, “I have heard that she [Palin] has a good record on environmental issues. If that is the case, that would be a selling point for me.”

House Minority Leader Robert Watson, R-East Greenwich, chairman of the Rhode Island delegation to the Republican confab that begins Monday in St. Paul, Minn., said he has never met Palin, but is “looking forward to meeting her.”

“I think it is very interesting,” said Watson. “It is a typical John McCain maverick move. He looked outside the Beltway and insider Washington and went all the way across the country to find a woman with executive experience.”

Palin herself said, “Democrats always claim they are the party that represents women, and here it is the Republicans who have a woman on the ticket this year.”

Delegate Dennis Michaud said he is “depressed” about the Palin choice. “I’m very surprised, I was for Romney,” he said.

Rep. Steve Coaty, R-Newport, called Palin “a good choice.”

“She is a female, which, I think, is quite encouraging, and I think her youth is going to be a great asset,” said Coaty.

GOP state party chairman Giovanni Cicione acknowledged that he is not well-acquainted with Palin, but praised McCain for a “maverick” choice.

“I’m as surprised as anybody, but I’m also impressed,” said Cicione. “She has a great history as governor of Alaska. She’s a real reformer, she is strong on environmental issues and she helped kill the famous bridge to nowhere. It’s a good pick.”

smackay@projo.com