Joe Biden Continues Narrowing VP Picks, Announcement Could Come Soon

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden still isn’t ready to choose his vice president. As the campaign continues to mull over the final candidates, it could be at least another 10 days before an announcement is made.

It’s unlikely that Biden will officially select a running mate before the week of Aug. 10, The Associated Press reports. In May, Biden said he hoped to name a vice president by Aug. 1, and he recently told reporters that he wanted to make a decision in the first week of the month.

In March, Biden committed to picking a woman as his running mate.

California Rep. Karen Bass has gained traction as a potential Biden running mate, according to CNN, as the presumptive nominee narrows down his list of candidates. California Sen. Kamala Harris and Susan Rice, Barack Obama's former national security adviser, are considered to be serious contenders, as well.

“I think Karen has been under counted since Day One," former California State Controller and major Biden fundraiser Steve Westly told CNN.

“Everybody likes Karen Bass. People are scratching their heads saying, who is this woman? When you've been speaker of the legislature for a state that's twice the population of New York and the world's fifth-biggest economy, you know how to manage media, you understand the economy. I think she is stronger than people think.”

Harris had been the favorite in July to join Biden on the Democratic presidential ticket. The 55-year-old was given the best odds at betting websites. There was increased speculation earlier this week that Harris would be the eventual choice when the AP photographed Biden holding a list of talking points under Harris’ name.

“By all objective standards, Kamala Harris should be the overwhelming favorite for the job,” said Michael Kempner, a major Democratic donor based in New York, via The AP.

The campaign has reviewed close to a dozen candidates. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Florida Rep. Val Demings and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth have also been vetted.