The virtual Democratic presidential candidate for the November elections in the United States, Joe Biden, is approaching the final decision on his running mate for the vice presidency, who could be a black woman or a Hispanic woman.
The team is the most significant that Biden has faced in his nearly five decades of political career. He has vowed to select a woman and is facing pressure to choose the first black woman in a presidential formula.
He is expected to announce his election the week of August 10, according to three people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the plans. This would put the announcement closer to the Democratic National Convention, which begins on August 17, than the August 1 deadline Biden had originally indicated.
Running mates are often announced on the eve of the convention and the background screening process is nearing completion.
As Biden prepares to make his choice, multiple people told the AP that informative materials have been provided by a team established to examine the background of each candidate. Biden is expected to begin the one-on-one interviews in the coming days.
The team assigned by Biden has reviewed the backgrounds of nearly a dozen potential running partners. Top contenders include California Senator Kamala Harris, California Rep Karen Bass and President Barack Obama-era National Security Advisor Susan Rice. The governor of New Mexico, Michelle Luján Grisham, has also been mentioned. Rice is the only one who has never held an elected office.
For
Joe Biden, this is the turning point. After all the reviews and all the research on potential candidates, now it's up to Joe. said former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who was weighed for the 2008 vice presidential bid.
Biden representatives consulted by The Associated Press declined to comment for this report.