Biden faces pressure from within the group as the race partner search enters the finals

(Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden faces pressure from contending groups within his party as he prepares to interview a roster of women for the biggest recruitment in his political career: his running mate.

Biden, who vowed to choose a woman for the job he held for eight years under the presidency of Barack Obama, said this week that he expected the background investigation process to wrap up around July 24. He would then interview each finalist before making a decision, which is expected in early August.

The selection of the vice presidential candidate has gained enormous importance this year, reflecting the desperation to defeat Republican President Donald Trump among the Democrats, who have agonized over which candidate would give Biden the biggest boost in the elections on March 3. November.

Biden leads the national and state battlefield opinion polls when voters blame Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the subsequent economic downturn, and race relations.

Adding to the weight of Biden’s election, he would be 78 years old at his inauguration in January, becoming the oldest president of the United States and establishing his vice president as one of the first candidates for the 2024 career in the event that it only served a mandate.

“There is a lot of attention to this for several reasons, among which Vice President Biden is 77 years old,” said former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Reid, who has had several conversations on the subject with Biden, said the list has shrunk in recent weeks, but has remained quite large.

Women under serious consideration include Senators Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Tammy Duckworth; Representatives of the United States Val Demings and Karen Bass; former United States National Security Advisor Susan Rice; The Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham; and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, according to interviews with Democratic officials.

Harris established herself early as a favorite after abandoning her presidential bid, particularly among top fundraisers, who have Biden’s ear and tend to be more centrist. Online betting site PredictIt puts your odds of being chosen at 41%, much higher than any of the other candidates on the list.

Biden’s campaign declined to comment on the search.

In making his decision, Biden has to balance many factors, including ideology, race, and ethnicity, as well as candidates’ ability to raise money, build enthusiasm, and fulfill the traditional role of vice president “attack dog” by going after Trump.

Alex Heckler, a member of Biden’s national finance committee who endorses Harris as a running mate, said the ideal candidate given Trump’s “false” allegations of Biden’s lack of mental resistance would be someone who could attack Trump’s shortcomings. and be qualified to serve as president if necessary. .

MOUNTING CALLS FOR BLACK RUNNER

Perhaps the biggest question Biden faces is whether to select a black woman after national protests over racial injustice after the police murder of George Floyd, an African American, in Minneapolis. Warren is the only white candidate on the list, which includes five black women, as well as Grisham, who is Latino, and Duckworth, who is Asian-American.

“As I am witnessing what is happening in this country right now, I am more convinced than ever that Joe Biden needs a black woman as his vice presidential candidate,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the advocacy group Black Voters Matter.

Leah Daughtry, a Democratic official who led the 2008 convention that nominated Obama, the country’s first black president, also pressured Biden and senior campaign officials like Anita Dunn to choose a black woman.

“Nominating a black woman will give you the enthusiasm Joe Biden will need to run a successful career in this pandemic environment,” he said.

Left-wing activists mounted a campaign to support Warren, who they argue would help unite the liberal faction of the party behind the more moderate Biden and whose commitment to the “great structural change” could address deepening economic and health crises in the country.

Some progressive black advocates drew Warren’s attention to racial inequality in designing his political platform as a presidential contender, while pointing out that Harris’ record as a prosecutor in California and Demings as a police chief in Florida could make them less attractive to activists. of criminal justice. .

“Representation is important; it’s just not enough, “said Maurice Mitchell, executive director of the liberal Working Families Party. Mitchell said he planned to present the Warren case directly to Biden or his top aides during a meeting scheduled for the near future.

Among the other possible elections, Grisham could increase Latino participation in key Sun Belt states like Arizona and Florida, which the campaign sees as an area that Biden needs to shore up.

Duckworth, a military veteran who lost her legs in combat, would give the ticket a compelling personal narrative and help reinforce the campaign’s national security credentials.

Some advisers have doubts whether Harris’ ambition for a higher position could overshadow Biden’s message. But Keith Williams, president of the Democratic Black Caucus in Michigan, a battlefield state Trump narrowly won in 2016, said he told the Biden campaign that Harris was the best option.

“She has been on the world stage. She has acquitted herself in the debates, ”he said. “She is the most likely option they should go with.”