Hillary Clinton's methodical search for a running mate is nearly complete, several Democrats close to the vice presidential process say, and she is planning to introduce her new political partner during a campaign rally in Miami on Saturday.
Clinton has yet to reveal her choice to her campaign, and top advisers insist she hasn't made a final conclusion, fearful of it leaking before a well-orchestrated weekend rollout is set into motion. But several longtime confidantes familiar with how she makes decisions say that by now, she has almost certainly settled on a candidate to join the Democratic ticket.
The focus of her search in the final days centers on Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, according to several Democrats close to the process, confident either contender would fit her chief criteria of being a strong governing partner and ready for the presidency.
She had not formally ruled out Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who would be the first Hispanic candidate on the party's ticket, or Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who would be the first black vice presidential nominee. Democrats close to the process said Perez and Booker had considerable strengths, far beyond their diversity, but their limited experience in national security and government made them less likely to be selected.
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Yet the Clinton campaign is watching the closing day of the Republican convention with great interest, particularly how Trump's speech is received, which could influence the timing of their own announcement. The campaign has discussed several scenarios, taking into account the Republican convention as well as a domestic or international outbreak of violence.
The most likely plan calls for Clinton to reveal her decision in a text message to supporters late Friday before appearing with her running mate Saturday at Florida International University in Miami, where the student body is more than half Hispanic.
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But a second plan calls for an accelerated announcement -- should it leak early, by design or not -- with their first joint appearance scheduled for late Friday at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, where Clinton is also scheduled to hold a campaign rally.
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The consensus, even among several Democrats close to other finalists, is that Kaine will be tapped as Clinton's vice presidential candidate. Yet other Democrats close to Clinton still cautioned in interviews Thursday against counting out Vilsack, who has the most state and federal governing experience and the longest personal relationship with Clinton.
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For her part, Clinton has intentionally not informed anyone who has gone through the vetting process of her final decision, Democrats close to the process said, in hopes of keeping her choice a secret until the last possible moment.
But two Democrats close to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and one close to Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, both of whom were on Clinton's list of contenders, said Thursday they were all but certain they had not been selected.
All the finalists have met with Clinton at different times, Democrats close to the process say, including Perez, Booker and Warren during one-on-one meetings Friday at Clinton's home in Washington. But this week, the Clinton campaign had a meeting with top Warren aides, trying to work out a surrogate schedule for her for the rest of the summer and fall, leading Warren's team to believe she had not been chosen.
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Clinton started this process before her primary fight with Bernie Sanders ended with what aides described as a "fluid" list, including several potential running mates. Several were eliminated, including Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and James Stravidis, the former supreme allied commander of NATO and a retired four-star Navy admiral.