Joe Biden’s decision could influence Democratic Party’s leadership for years to come.
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Associated PressWASHINGTON—Joe Biden’s allies have been told to expect an announcement midweek revealing his choice of running mate, according to a person familiar with the process, and multiple people said his search committee has finished its work.
Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has been considering a group that includes California Sen. Kamala Harris, former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, Rep. Karen Bass (D., Calif.), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
Mr. Biden’s decision as he challenges President Trump has been closely watched and could play a major role in the Democratic Party’s leadership for years to come. The woman Mr. Biden chooses would be well-positioned to succeed the 77-year-old former vice president as the head of the party. If Mr. Biden wins the November election, his running mate would become the nation’s first woman to serve as vice president.
People familiar with the process said the four-member search committee wrapped up its vetting of the candidates. The committee included former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D., Del.) and Cynthia Hogan, a former Apple Inc. vice president and Biden counsel.
Mr. Biden spent the weekend at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., but returned to his Wilmington residence to appear at a fundraiser on Monday afternoon. He didn’t address his vice-presidential search during the virtual event.
In another sign that a decision was near, Mr. Biden’s campaign announced a team of staff members, including a number of Obama administration veterans, who will work with the running mate.
More on Joe Biden’s VP Pick
The team includes Sheila Nix, who served as Dr. Jill Biden’s chief of staff when Mr. Biden served as vice president, as senior adviser to the candidate and Karine Jean-Pierre, who worked on President Obama’s two campaigns and in the White House. Ms. Jean-Pierre will serve as the running mate’s chief of staff.
In recent days, the women under consideration have faced intense scrutiny in a process that up until the final weeks was unusually public.
The campaign has consulted political groups that help women get elected to office to prepare for what they believe will be sexist attacks against a female vice-presidential nominee, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
Asked on Tuesday who Mr. Biden should pick as his running mate, President Trump said it wouldn’t make much of a difference in the race. “People don’t vote for the vice president,” he said during an interview on a Fox Sports radio show.
Mr. Biden has come under renewed pressure to select a Black woman this week. Dozens of Black men, including rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, released a letter Monday calling on the campaign to name a Black vice-presidential nominee.
“Failing to select a Black woman in 2020 means you will lose the election,” the letter states. “We don’t want to choose between the lesser of two evils and we don’t want to vote for the devil we know versus the devil we don’t because we are tired of voting for devils—period.”
Already, plans for fundraisers featuring the vice presidential nominee are in the works. Some donors have already received a fundraising invitation titled “Introducing our Running Mate,” organized by Women for Biden, with a date and time to be determined.
It remains unclear if Mr. Biden will appear with his running mate for a formal announcement or if there will be a virtual event. The campaign has said supporters will first learn of the pick in a text message.
Write to Tarini Parti at Tarini.Parti@wsj.com and Ken Thomas at ken.thomas@wsj.com
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Joe Biden Weighs VP Pick After Search Committee Wraps Up - The Wall Street Journal
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