Published
3 years agoon
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden’s search for a running mate is entering a second round of vetting for a dwindling list of potential vice presidential nominees, with several black women in strong contention.
Democrats with knowledge of the process said Biden’s search committee has narrowed the choices to as few as six serious contenders after initial interviews. Those still in contention include Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California, as well as Susan Rice, who served as President Barack Obama’s national security adviser.
The process remains somewhat fluid, according to those with knowledge, and additional candidates may still be asked to submit to the extensive document review process now underway for top contenders. Those familiar with Biden’s search spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the process.
Biden, who has already said he will pick a woman as his running mate, is facing increased calls from Democrats to put a woman of color on the ticket — both because of the outsize role that black voters played in Biden’s road to the nomination and because of the reckoning over racism and inequality roiling the nation following the death of George Floyd. The black Minneapolis man died after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck for several minutes, an episode that was captured on video.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks at a campaign stop at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, in Davenport, Iowa. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Rice, who worked closely with Biden during his time as vice president, has emerged as a favorite among some former Obama administration officials and is personally close to the former president. She has never held elected office but has extensive foreign policy experience, including as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She’s also been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration since leaving the White House and considered running for U.S. Senate in Maine.
Rice has long been a target of Republicans, including for statements she made after the deadly 2012 attacks on Americans in Benghazi, Libya. Republicans have also accused her of spying on Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, though records declassified by the Trump administration show no evidence of Rice improperly accessing any information.
Harris and Warren have been seen as top contenders for the No. 2 spot since ending their own presidential campaigns.
FILE – In this Nov. 8, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., reacts as she speaks at a town hall event at the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Pence Testifies Before Election Probe Grand Jury
On King’s Holiday, His Daughter Calls for Bold Action Over Words
Garland Appoints Special Counsel to Investigate Biden Docs
Bolsonaro Eyes Return to Brazil as Pressure Mounts on Biden to Expel Him
Air Travel Across US Thrown Into Chaos After Computer Outage
Biden Inspects US-Mexico Border in Face of GOP Criticism