Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and former national security adviser Susan Rice have emerged as serious contenders to be presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s running mate.
Duckworth, who earned a Purple Heart for his service in the Iraq War, has emerged in recent days as a serious candidate, according to the Washington Post.
“You had all the other names there, and it was as if she didn’t exist,” said former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “And suddenly people began to look at her — this highly decorated woman, member of Congress, senator.”
Biden had long been expected to pick a Black woman to be his running mate, especially in light of the protests over police racism. Duckworth is of Thai Chinese descent.
Duckworth told CNN that Black female voters are "a key to the victory for Democrats" and she is certain Biden "will pick the right person to be next to him as he digs this country out of the mess that Donald Trump has put us in."
Don’t count out Susan Rice:
Rice is also “viewed as a top contender” to be Biden’s running mate, according to Politico.
Rice served on the National Security Council and State Department under Bill Clinton and was Obama’s national security adviser after serving as his ambassador to the United Nations.
“I will do my utmost, drawing on my experience of years in government, years of making the bureaucracy work,” she told MSNBC. “I’m going to do everything I can to help get Joe Biden elected and to help him succeed as president, whether I’m his running mate or I’m a door-knocker. I don’t mind.”
Kamala Harris still the favorite:
Despite Duckworth and Rice getting serious attention, Kamala Harris is “still seen by many Biden allies as a favorite,” according to the Post.
“Republicans are more likely than ever to hammer the Democratic vice presidential nominee,” said Dan Eberhart, a Trump donor, told the outlet. “Biden is boxed in by the progressives in the party — he has to pick a woman and someone who is relatively far to the left of himself. That’s going to provide natural openings for the campaign to draw contrasts.”
