Hillary Clinton Picks Tim Kaine As Running Mate
Hillary Clinton selected as her running mate Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a low key, seasoned politico from a key battleground state.
Clinton made the announcement in a text message to supporters.
“I’m thrilled to tell you this first: I’ve chosen Sen. Tim Kaine as my running mate,” the message said.
Clinton called Kaine “a man who’s devoted his life to fighting for others.”
Clinton and Kaine are scheduled to appear at a rally in Miami on Saturday.
“Just got off the phone with Hillary,” Kaine wrote on Twitter. “I’m honored to be her running mate. Cant’ wait to hit the trail tomorrow in Miami!”
Kaine, 58, the former governor of Virginia and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, was regarded as a more conventional choice in the vice presidential selection process, and someone who could help Clinton reach working class voters along a swath of midwestern states who may be turning to Donald Trump.
Kaine won over conservative voters when he ran for governor in 1985, a prelude to a gradual shift of the state as a tossup rather than a Republican stronghold. Kaine also has midwestern roots — he was born in Minnesota and grew up in Kansas. He served on the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, and is fluent in Spanish.
Running mates have mixed records of significantly improving a candidate’s electoral advantage — and sometimes the choice proves to hurt more than help.
Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, had also considered other figures such as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa; Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
An advantage in the pick of Kaine is that a Democrat, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.), would appoint Kaine’s successor if he and Clinton are elected in November.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) called Kaine “a solid choice” who is “tested and ready to lead.”
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, wrote on Twitter that he “bolsters an already historic campaign” and that Kaine had supported marriage equality and other LGBTQ issues.
While initial reaction also talked of how the selection of Kaine was a safe choice, there could be some unhappiness among progressive groups because of Kaine’s support of the Trans Pacific Partnership. The trade agreement was a key issue in the primary campaign, as Clinton’s primary rival Bernie Sanders opposed it as a giveaway to major corporations.
Clinton’s campaign sent out a fundraising email shortly after the announcement in which she wrote, “To know Tim is to love him. When I was talking to people about this decision, I couldn’t find anyone — Democrat or Republican — who had a bad thing to say about him.”
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