WILMINGTON, Del. – Joseph R. Biden Jr. has told allies he has interviewed every finalist in his vice-presidential search, and his advisers plan to make an announcement by the middle of the week, informing people about the selection process he said on Monday.
In a sign that the choice is now only in the hands of Mr. Biden is, it is said, the four-member committee that screened his potential running mates has been effectively disbanded – the work has been completed, Biden said allies, and there is not much to do except for Mr Biden to to make up his mind.
Mr Biden’s political team has drawn up rollout plans for several of the finalists, and he is expected to announce his decision as soon as Tuesday, although more Democrats expect it to come on Wednesday. However, the former vice president has so far not been announced for his punctuality in the presidential race and the timeline could slip again.
Mr Biden has spoken to the vice-presidential candidates over the past few weeks through a combination of personal sessions and remote meetings, but the exact timing and circumstances of all meetings are not clear. Close advisers to Mr Biden said he had been in direct contact with all the leading candidates.
Some of the strongest candidates were California Senator Kamala Harris; Susan Rice, the former national security adviser; Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who met with Mr. Biden on August 2nd. Mr. Biden and his team also have Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Representatives Karen Bass of California and Val Demings of Florida.
All of them were interviewed by Mr. Biden’s search team, a panel of advisers and party officials informally led by former Connecticut Senator Christopher J. Dodd.
The last days of the search, like everything else in this race, were formed by the coronavirus. While some of the conversations have been personal, others have taken place over the phone, according to Democrats familiar with the process.
Mr. Biden spent time this weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Del., Where his family owns a beach house, and on Monday responded to a virtual fundraiser with Muslim-American leaders from his Wilmington home, located in a grim neighborhood that signs of recent show storm damage. However, he was not asked about his selection of the vice presidency, according to a report by the media pool of the news of the event.
A Biden campaign spokesman declined to comment for this article.
The campaign accelerated its farm president this weekend, and prepared outreach efforts to help connect the future running mate with core Democratic constituencies and willing fundraisers to make their selection. Mr Biden’s campaign has sent emails and texts urging supporters to sign up for “the first grassroots fundraiser with the next president and vice president of the United States,” and there is a “virtual event that introduces our running mate” plan, sponsored by Women for Biden.
“They have no idea who it will be,” said Texas Democrat Rep. Filemon Vela, of campaign staff ready to launch a campaign. “But they make all the preparations necessary so that when the announcement is made, they can do what they intend to do in terms of rolling it all out.”
There is great uncertainty about the ultimate decision of Mr. Pray, even among prominent party leaders and those who have known him for years.
“This is like the best kept secret in the universe,” said former Senator Barbara Boxer, a Democrat from California who served with Mr. Biden in the Senate. “We’re all scared so we can get this behind us and get on that track.”
As well as Mr Biden’s potential decision, he has been exceptionally open about his search criteria, signaling that he intends to place particular emphasis on personal rapport and confidence in the candidates’ governing capabilities.
“He sees everything,” said Representative Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat and co-chair of Mr. Biden, in an interview last week. ‘With whom he is most comfortable, who helps him win. There’s a lot that goes into it. He goes through his thought process. ”
One central question for many Democrats is whether Mr. Biden will choose a woman of color as his running mate. He has considered black, Latina and Asian-American candidates, as well as white candidates.
While Mrs. Whitmer is white, some of her enthusiasts have remarked that if Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II were to replace her, he would become the only Black governor in America – and in a pivotal warring state where Hillary Clinton lost in 2016 in part due to moderate African-American rise.
But amid nationwide fears over racism and police violence following the assassination of George Floyd, Mr Biden faced more and more urgent calls this summer to select a Black woman.
For months, he and his campaign have heard from strategists and activists who have campaigned for an African-American vice presidential election. Polling has shown that many voters give Mr. Biden wide political space to make his selection. But a number of party strategies have argued that selecting a Black running mate would attract voters, reflecting the central role that Black women have played in the Democratic Party and in reviving Mrs’ once flailing candidacy. Praying during the primary.
“Black women are excited about the possibility, and have a serious sense that the vice president’s success would not have been possible without their investment, their trust in him,” said Leah D. Daughtry, a veteran party strategist. who spoke to Mr Biden and his team about selecting a Black Vice Presidential candidate. “The majority of the finalists are African-American. The campaign would have a lot of work to do in explaining to men why none of these women were chosen. That will be a high order. A great book of things. ”
Clay Middleton, a Democratic National Committee member from South Carolina and former adviser to New Jersey Senator Cory Booker’s presidential campaign, acknowledged that whatever Mr. Biden’s choice may make some Democratic voters feel – if he’s a white candidate or a candidate of color, a moderate or a progressive than one who is simply less well known.
“People will be uneasy, though – the issue is, how will it be unleashed, and how comfortable is the vice president and his nominee?” Mr Middleton said. “Because that image, it has to be real.”
Katie Glueck reported from Wilmington, Del., Alexander Burns from New York and Jonathan Martin from Washington. Thomas Kaplan contributed reporting from Wilmington.
