The New York Times - USA (2020-06-28)

26 N THE NEW YORK TIMES NATIONALSUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

Joseph R. Biden Jr. is deep into his search for a running mate. The process began with a list of more than a dozen

potential candidates, all of them women. His team has narrowed that list, conducting multiple interviews and col-

lecting sensitive personal documents from a number of the most important contenders. Mr. Biden, 77, says he

wants a running mate who is ready to assume the presidency, who shares his priorities and with whom he is “sim-

patico.” He is aiming to announce his choice by Aug. 1. These are the women we know to be under consideration:

A Who’s Who in Biden’s Search for Vice President

By ALEXANDER BURNS

KAMALA HARRIS

BioSenator from California since
2017; former presidential candi-
date; served as district attorney
in San Francisco and state attor-
ney general.

How seriously is she being vetted?
Very seriously. Ms. Harris, 55, is
in an advanced stage of the
vetting process and is seen as
among the likeliest candidates to
be chosen.

Signature issues Proposed cutting
middle-class taxes; recently
advocated for policing reform;
pushed a Senate bill to make
lynching a federal crime; played
a high-profile role in the confir-
mation hearings of Justice Brett
M. Kavanaugh.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Harris
had a friendly relationship with
Mr. Biden before they competed
in the 2020 primaries, and she
knew his late son, Beau, when
they served as attorneys gen-
eral. But Ms. Harris also at-
tacked Mr. Biden more harshly
than any other Democrat in the
2020 race, rebuking him in the
first televised debate for having
worked with segregationist
senators to oppose school busing
policies in the 1970s.

Pros and consMs. Harris is
among the best-known black
women in U.S. politics, with
appeal to both moderates and
liberals. But she ran an unsteady
presidential campaign last year
and struggled with questions
about her law-enforcement
record. The way she and her
advisers handled the 2020 pri-
mary left some in the Biden
campaign with reservations.

On being considered for vice presi-
dent “I know that conversation is
taking place in the press and
among the pundits, and I’m
honored to even be considered, if
that’s the case.”

ELIZABETH WARREN

Bio Senator from Massachusetts
since 2013; former presidential
candidate; former Harvard Law
School professor and bankruptcy
expert; architect of the Con-
sumer Financial Protection
Bureau.

How seriously is she being vetted?
Very seriously. Ms. Warren, 70, is
among the strongest contenders
and she has reached an ad-
vanced stage of the vetting

process.

Signature issues Has long criti- cized wealth concentration and corporate power; proposed plans to break up big companies, tax the extremely rich and use pro- ceeds to fund new social benefits; recently called for investigations of how the Trump administration has distributed economic stimu- lus money and pushed a measure to strip the names of Confederate generals from military bases.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Warren and Mr. Biden have a relationship of mutual respect, framed by significant ideological differ- ences. When Mr. Biden was a senator and Ms. Warren a Har- vard professor, they clashed in a Senate hearing over bankruptcy regulation. But when Mr. Biden was mulling a campaign for president in 2016, he met with Ms. Warren privately and considered asking her to run with him.

Pros and cons Ms. Warren would bring sterling progressive credentials and a forceful economic message to the ticket. But she does not represent racial or gen- erational diversity, and her populist record could unnerve some moderates.

On being considered for vice president “I’m focused right now on this crisis.”

KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS

BioMayor of Atlanta since 2018; served two terms on the Atlanta City Council.

How seriously is she being vetted? Very seriously. Ms. Bottoms, 50, has been interviewed by the Biden team and she has drawn even closer review as her national profile has grown recently.

Signature issues Among the most prominent city leaders grappling with the pandemic and answer- ing the calls for police reform and racial justice; quickly called for the firing of the officer who fa- tally shot Rayshard Brooks and then announced new restrictions on the use of force by the police; made criminal justice reform a major priority, including strictly limiting the use of cash bail.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Bot- toms was an early supporter of Mr. Biden in the presidential race, serving as a fiercely loyal campaign surrogate, even when he was down in the polls.

Pros and cons Ms. Bottoms has cut an impressive figure during a national reckoning over race and policing, and she hails from a crucial political battleground. But her short time in high office could be an obstacle.

On being considered for vice president “It’s going to be important for Joe Biden to have a strong V.P. who can help him heal our nation and lead our nation, and it’s going to be important to have a person beside him who can help him defeat Donald Trump.”

VAL DEMINGS

BioRepresentative from Florida since 2017; served as police chief in Orlando after a long career there as an officer.

How seriously is she being vetted? Very seriously. Ms. Demings, 63, has been interviewed at length and is being vetted intensively by the Biden team.

Signature issues Has been an outspoken voice in the House on issues related to gun control and law enforcement; served as an impeachment manager in the Senate trial of President Trump.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Dem- ings and Mr. Biden do not have a longstanding relationship, but they campaigned together for Florida Democrats during the

2018 elections.

Pros and cons Ms. Demings is a strong campaigner with a résumé that matches the moment, and she comes from a crucial part of the country’s biggest swing state. But she has not been closely vetted by the press and her experience in elected office is relatively brief.

On being considered for vice president “I hope, regardless of how it turns out, that when boys and girls and young men and women around this nation hear my personal story and they’ve been told that they can’t make it for whatever reason, that they will be inspired.”

SUSAN RICE

BioNational security adviser and ambassador to the United Na- tions under President Obama.

How seriously is she being vetted? Very seriously. Ms. Rice, 55, is among the candidates furthest along in the vetting process.

Signature issues Closely identified with the Obama administration’s foreign policy breakthroughs, including the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement; recently called for statehood for Washington, D.C.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Rice served with Mr. Biden under Obama for eight years, and their working relationship dates to the 1990s when Ms. Rice was an assistant secretary of state and Mr. Biden was on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Pros and consMs. Rice’s interna- tional experience would leave little doubt that she is ready for the most sensitive parts of the job. But she has never been a candidate before and the learning curve of a national campaign can be a steep one.

On being considered for vice president “I’m humbled and honored to be among the extremely ac- complished women who are reportedly being considered in that regard.”

MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM

BioGovernor of New Mexico since 2019; served three terms in Congress and was chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Cau- cus; former New Mexico secretary of health.

How seriously is she being vetted? Pretty seriously. Ms. Lujan Grish- am, 60, is probably the top candidate among the governors and she has been asked to submit documents for vetting.

Signature issues Enacted sweep- ing clean-energy legislation and a minimum wage hike as governor; pushed for major liberal priorities like free public college; now heavily focused on containing the coronavirus outbreak and man- aging the damage of an economic recession.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Lujan Grisham and Mr. Biden do not have a close relationship. He endorsed her candidacy for governor in 2018.

Pros and consMs. Lujan Grisham appears to be the only Latina candidate under consideration, with the potential to give Mr. Biden a boost across the South- west. She has a compelling story to tell about leading a state through a national crisis, but she is a lower-profile leader than many of the other candidates.

On being considered for vice president “What I hope the Biden campaign continues to do is to look for not just a V.P. pick, but to be really clear in building a cab- inet and an agenda for America, that these are folks who can run government.”

TAMMY DUCKWORTH

BioSenator from Illinois since 2017; served two terms in the House; former director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs; a retired Army lieuten- ant colonel and helicopter pilot who lost both legs in combat while serving in Iraq.

How seriously is she being vetted? Pretty seriously. Ms. Duckworth, 52, has been interviewed by the Biden team and she has been asked to submit documents for vetting.

Signature issues Has been a prominent spokeswoman for her party on national security and the concerns of veterans and military families; championed policies to protect people with disabilities.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Duck- worth does not have an especially close relationship with Mr. Biden, but as vice president he backed her 2016 candidacy to unseat a Republican senator, Mark Kirk. Ms. Duckworth introduced Mr. Biden’s late son, Beau, as a speaker at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Pros and cons Ms. Duckworth’s personal story could be powerful in a presidential campaign; she would be the first veteran on a national ticket since John Mc- Cain, and the first female veteran ever. She is a less prominent voice on some of the issues most central to the campaign, like policing and the economy.

On being considered for vice president “I can push back against Trump in a way others can’t.”

TAMMY BALDWIN

Bio Senator from Wisconsin since 2013; served seven terms in the House; the first openly gay person to win a seat in the Senate.

How seriously is she being vetted? Somewhat seriously. Ms. Bald- win, 58, has been interviewed by the Biden team and she is seen as a politically safe choice.

Signature issues Has championed universal health care for decades and other changes to the health care system; has been an important voice on trade and manufac- turing, and a critic of China’s trade practices.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Bald- win and Mr. Biden do not have a deep relationship, but she served in the Senate during his second term as vice president and they campaigned together in both the 2012 and 2018 elections, when Ms. Baldwin was on the ballot.

Pros and cons Ms. Baldwin would bring populist credentials and local popularity that could help deliver Wisconsin’s crucial Elec- toral College votes to Mr. Biden. But she is relatively little known nationally and many Democrats might object to an all-white ticket.

On being considered for vice president “If he were to ask me to be his running mate, I certainly would.”

KAREN BASS

BioRepresentative from Califor- nia since 2011; chair of the Con- gressional Black Caucus; former speaker of the California State Assembly.

How seriously is she being vetted? Somewhat seriously. Ms. Bass, 66, joined the process later than some of the other candidates. She has spoken with the Biden search team and is under active consideration.

Signature issuesHas been a prominent figure in the House debate over police reform; introduced legislation on public health, student debt and foster care; leads a House subcommittee on Africa, global health and human rights.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Bass and Mr. Biden do not have a deep relationship, but they appeared together at several events when he was vice president and she endorsed his candidacy in March.

Pros and consMs. Bass has a longer legislative record — in Washington and California — than almost anyone else under consideration. She has a rich political record that has involved confronting civil unrest in Los Angeles and helping steer her state through the Great Reces- sion. But she is little-known nationally and has not under- gone the kind of public scrutiny that nearly all the other candidates have experienced.

On being considered for vice president Ms. Bass has declined to comment so far on reports that she is being considered, refer- ring reporters to the Biden campaign.

GRETCHEN WHITMER

BioGovernor of Michigan since 2019; former Democratic leader in the Michigan State Senate; delivered the Democratic re- sponse to President Trump’s State of the Union address in February.

How seriously is she being vetted? Somewhat seriously. Ms. Whit- mer, 48, has acknowledged she has had contact with the Biden search team, but seems like a less prominent candidate than she was a few months ago.

Signature issues Ran for governor on a platform of rebuilding Mich- igan’s broken roads, raising the minimum wage and investing in education; has grappled with the coronavirus pandemic reshaping her administration, putting public health and budgetary challenges at the center of her agenda.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Whit- mer has described herself as having been friends with Mr. Biden for years, and he endorsed her campaign for governor in

She returned the favor
before the Michigan presidential
primary in March.

Pros and cons Ms. Whitmer is a popular young leader from an important swing state, who has played a major role in respond- ing to the coronavirus. But she would not bring racial diversity to the ticket and she has faced Republican attacks at home for engaging in national politics.

On being considered for vice president“I am making a little bit of time to stay connected to the campaign but the most important thing that I have to do right now is be the governor of my home state.”

STACEY ABRAMS

BioFormer Democratic leader in the Georgia House of Represent- atives before narrowly losing a race for governor in 2018; the leader of an advocacy group, Fair Fight Action, focused on voting rights.

How seriously is she being vetted? Not too seriously. Some senior Democrats are supportive of Ms. Abrams, 46, but she does not seem to be a priority for the Biden team right now.

Signature issues Has championed voting rights; advocated for expanding health care at the state level during her time in the legislature and worked with then-Gov. Nathan Deal, a Repub- lican, on criminal justice reform.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Abrams and Mr. Biden do not have a longstanding relationship, but they met privately last year as he was weighing his decision to enter the 2020 race and his advisers were floating the idea of announcing a running mate during the Democrat- ic primaries.

Pros and cons Ms. Abrams is an agile political messenger with a strong national following. But the highest office she has held is state legislator, raising questions about her readiness.

On being considered for vice president “I would be an excellent running mate. I have the capaci- ty to attract voters by motivat- ing typically ignored communi- ties.”

GINA RAIMONDO

BioGovernor of Rhode Island since 2015; served as state treas- urer; former venture capital executive; was chair of the Democratic Governors Associa- tion in 2019.

How seriously is she being vetted? Not too seriously. Ms. Raimondo, 49, has had some contact with the Biden team but she does not seem to be as far along in the process as others.

Signature issues Has made economic development her central cause, frequently pushing her party to adopt a more pointed message on economic opportu- nity and job creation; over- hauled the state’s unstable public pension system, a political victory that yielded lasting bad blood with some labor unions.

Relationship with Biden Ms. Rai- mondo and Mr. Biden are cut from the same ideological cloth, and he has campaigned for her in the past. But Ms. Raimondo endorsed a different moderate in the Democratic primaries: Michael R. Bloomberg.

Pros and cons Ms. Raimondo may be more closely aligned with Mr. Biden in her political sensibil- ities than anyone else in the running. But she is viewed with distrust by the left and some important Democratic labor unions, and she is relatively untested as a national figure.

On being considered for vice president “Let me just say this. I’m spending zero time on politics right now.”

MAGGIE HASSAN

Bio Senator from New Hamp- shire since 2017; served as governor there from 2013 to 2017 and was previously the Demo- cratic leader in the New Hamp- shire State Senate.

How seriously is she being vetted? Not too seriously. Ms. Hassan, 62, agreed to be vetted by the Biden team but it is not clear that her candidacy has moved much past that point.

Signature issues Has focused on health care and drug addiction; as governor, expanded Medicaid at the state level, and in the Senate, sponsored large-scale legislation addressing the opioid crisis.

Relationship with Biden Like most top Democrats in the crucial primary state of New Hamp- shire, Ms. Hassan has known Mr. Biden for some time. They are not especially close but he consistently praised her during visits to the state last year.

Pros and cons Ms. Hassan has strong credentials as a governor and senator from a state Hillary Clinton barely won in 2016. But she is barely known outside New Hampshire. If she were elected vice president, a Republican governor would name her re- placement.

On being considered for vice president “I am not going to comment about his process, whatever that may be. My focus each and every day continues to be serving the people of N.H. in the U.S. Senate.”

WITHDREW

AMY KLOBUCHAR The Minnesota senator announced on June 18 that she had withdrawn from the search process, after renewed scrutiny of her record as a prosecutor greatly diminished her chances. When protests swept her home state after the killing of George Floyd, Ms. Klobuchar, 60, found herself struggling to explain why she had not done more to take on police mis- conduct as district attorney. Pulling out of the vice-presidential search, Ms. Klobuchar said she urged Mr. Biden in a phone call to choose a woman of color for the ticket.

Election

The New York Times - USA (2020-06-28)

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