These Are Likely Clinton's Top 2 VP Choices

Will it be Tom or Tim?
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 20, 2016 8:33 AM CDT
These Are Likely Clinton's Top 2 VP Choices
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack   (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

Hillary Clinton is narrowing the field of possible running mates, with Democrats predicting she'll reveal her pick as soon as Friday. The front-runners? Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, report CNN and the Washington Post. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, retired four-star Navy Adm. James Stavridis, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren are still up for consideration, but Clinton's warm comments about Vilsack and Kaine when speaking to friends and advisers suggest she may have a preference for them, reports the Post. They're also "safe" choices, per Politico. Sources close to her campaign say Clinton—who's had input from Bill Clinton and President Obama—will reveal her pick in Tampa, Fla., on Friday or Miami on Saturday.

Both Vilsack and Kaine have governing experience and "fit Clinton's ideal of low-key, loyal effectiveness," per the Post. As former governor of Iowa, Vilsack could help secure a victory in the swing state. He's also a longtime friend of Clinton. Kaine, however, may have a slight edge, sources say. A senior administration official describes the Spanish-speaker as a "progressive Catholic" who's on the same page as Obama on criminal justice reform, capital punishment, and anti-poverty efforts. On Monday, Clinton called him "world-class" and "one of the most highly respected senators I know." Perez, a Hispanic liberal, was one of several candidates to meet face to face with Clinton in recent days, though sources say he's likely the third choice. (Guess this means she isn't considering the bold option.)

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