Getty Images; illustrative image by Laura Adkins
Getty Images; illustrative image by Laura Adkins

The week Joe Biden will announce his running mate has finally arrived.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Susan Rice, former national security adviser to President Barack Obama, have emerged as the top contenders. Either one would make history as the first Black woman to be a running mate.

Biden, who has made it clear earlier he’ll choose a woman as his running mate, is also considering Rep. Karen Bass of California, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Rep. Val Demings of Florida, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois.

“He has a very difficult decision to make, for sure,” said Niambi Carter, an associate professor of political science at Howard University. “But it’s almost an embarrassment of riches.”

The stakes are high for whichever woman Biden chooses as his running mate, as the former vice president’s age has been a main target for President Donald Trump, who has attempted to raise doubt on his cognitive ability. Biden may also try to send a message to certain voting blocs, particularly Black or other voters of color, if he decides to choose a non-white running mate.

But Carter suggested Biden needs to find someone who excites the younger and more progressive wings of the Democratic Party concerned the presumptive nominee was a capitulation to moderates.

For the full story, visit USAToday.com/News/Politics.

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