Hillary Clinton's vice-president short list narrows
CBC News | Posted: July 22, 2016 9:00 AM | Last Updated: July 22, 2016
Senator Tim Kaine, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack front-runners for VP pick
After Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination earlier this week, flanked by his family and his vice-presidential pick Mike Pence, many are now turning their focus to the presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and the question of who she'll tap to be her running mate.
Clinton is expected to reveal her vice-presidential choice on Friday in a text message to supporters and then appear with her running mate for the first time at a rally in Miami on Saturday, according to a person familiar with the process who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
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At a rally in Tampa on Saturday, Clinton made no mention of her possible vice-presidential pick, instead focusing on criticizing her Republican rival, whom she accused of stoking hatred, fear and divisiveness.
"The last thing we need are leaders who try to divide us even more than we are. We should be working to reach out to those who are different from us. Our differences, which make up our diversity, make us the strongest, best-positioned country in the world for the 21st century," she said.
She concluded her speech by shouting "Love trumps hate," a slogan used by anti-Trump protesters nationwide.
It's possible Clinton will postpone her running mate announcement given Friday's mass shooting in Munich, Germany. Trump briefly put off introducing Pence as his vice-presidential pick during the deadly attack in Nice, France, last week.
According to The Washington Post, Clinton has narrowed her short list to two people, with several others still being considered.
Here's a look at her possible picks:
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine
According to the Post report, Kaine, who recently stumped with Clinton, is one of the names on her two-person short list.
He has been in public office for many years in the important battleground state of Virginia, having previously served as governor and mayor of the state's capital city of Richmond before becoming a senator.
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Kaine, who speaks Spanish, had been previously vetted as a possible VP pick for Barack Obama back in 2008 and, according to the New York Times, has the support of Clinton's husband, the former U.S. president Bill Clinton.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
The second name on Clinton's supposed list, Vilsack is from the swing state of Iowa, which could greatly help Clinton in the general election. During the Democratic primaries, Clinton only narrowly scraped by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the state.
Vilsack has a longstanding friendship with Clinton, and was considered to be John Kerry's running mate in 2004.
In 2006, Vilsack launched his own presidential campaign ahead of the 2008 election, but his run was short-lived. After dropping out, he endorsed Clinton.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren
Apart from the two front-runners, there is a second tier of candidates that some have suggested could be running mates, including Elizabeth Warren.
Warren has endorsed and stumped with Clinton, sparking speculation the two could form a two-woman ticket.
She is considered a darling of the progressive wing of the Democratic party and is a vocal critic of Wall Street.
Pairing her with Clinton would make the presumptive nominee more attractive to young supporters, especially those of Bernie Sanders, Clinton's primary rival who recently endorsed her.
Warren is also an equally vocal critic of Trump, challenging the Republican candidate on Twitter and in the media. Clinton has previously said she liked Warren's aggressive approach to Trump, saying, "I just love how she gets under Donald Trump's skin."
Secretary of Labour Thomas Perez
Perez, a Latino, has served as Clinton's Spanish-speaking surrogate, which some believe could boost Clinton's chances with Hispanic voters amid Trump's difficulties courting the same demographic.
He has led the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. He also has strong ties to organized labour and investigated the Trayvon Martin shooting.
VP pick long shots
Secretary of Housing Julian Castro met with Clinton at her home on Friday, but the 41-year-old's political resumé is relatively sparse, his previous experience being a city councillor and mayor of San Antonio, Texas.
Clinton also met with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who supports Alberta's oilsands. She is also reported to be eyeing two other senators: Ohio's Sherrod Brown, who has decades of experience in public office as a Democrat, and New Jersey's Cory Booker, a rising star within the party known for his social media presence.
And James Stavridis, a retired admiral and four-star commander of the U.S. forces in Europe, has security experience and knows Clinton from her time as secretary of state.