Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is facing pressure from contending groups inside his party as he prepares to interview a shortlist of women for the most important hire of his political career: his running mate, Reuters reported.
Biden, who committed to choosing a woman for the job he held for eight years under President Barack Obama, said this week he expected the background vetting process to conclude around July 24. He would then interview each finalist before making a decision, expected by early August.
The selection of the vice presidential candidate has taken on outsize importance this year, reflecting the desperation to defeat Republican President Donald Trump among Democrats, who have agonized over which candidate would give Biden the biggest boost in the Nov. 3 election.
Biden leads in national and battleground-state opinion polls as voters fault Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the subsequent economic recession and race relations.
Adding to the weight of Biden’s choice, he would be 78 at his January inauguration, making him the oldest U.S. president and setting up his vice president as an early front-runner for the 2024 race should he serve only one term.
“There’s a lot of attention on this for a number of reasons, not least of which that Vice President Biden is 77 years old,” former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
Reid, who has had several conversations about the topic with Biden, said the list narrowed in recent weeks but remained fairly large.
The women under serious consideration include Senators Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth; U.S. Representatives Val Demings and Karen Bass; former U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice; New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham; and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, according to interviews with Democratic officials.
Harris cemented herself early as a favorite after dropping her presidential bid, particularly among top fundraisers, who have Biden’s ear and tend to be more centrist. Online betting site PredictIt puts her odds of being picked at 41%, far higher than any of the other candidates on the list.
In making his choice, Biden has to balance many factors, including ideology, race and ethnicity, as well as candidates’ ability to raise money, create enthusiasm and fulfill the traditional vice presidential “attack dog” role by going after Trump.
Alex Heckler, a member of Biden’s national finance committee who backs Harris as running mate, said the ideal candidate given Trump’s “bogus” allegations about Biden’s lack of mental stamina would be someone who could attack Trump’s shortcomings and be qualified to serve as president if needed, Reuters added.
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