The Hill’s Campaign Report: Who will Biden pick to be his running mate?

Welcome to The Hill’s Campaign Report, your daily rundown on all the latest news in the 2020 presidential, Senate and House races. Did someone forward this to you? Click here to subscribe.

We’re Julia Manchester, Max Greenwood and Jonathan Easley. Here’s what we’re watching today on the campaign trail.

 

LEADING THE DAY:

The countdown for Joe Biden to select a running mate is on, with the former vice president announcing earlier this week he would have the slot filled next week.

A number of high-profile names, such as Biden’s former 2020 rivals Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), are being vetted. Other figures, including Congresswomen Val Demings (D-Fla.) and Karen Bass (D-Calif.), along with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D), are also in the pool of candidates.

However, The Hill’s Amie Parnes and Alexander Bolton report that we shouldn’t count Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D) out of the running yet, citing her status as a veteran who lost both legs in the Iraq War and is a recipient of the Purple Heart.

“Anyone who knows him well knows what the United States military means to him,” a Biden confidant told our colleagues. “And the fact of the matter is, she doesn’t just check the boxes, she has an incredible story and it represents not only who the vice president is at his core, but the narrative he’s been talking about since his campaign began.”

Duckworth’s colleague, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D), said that he would be in favor of a Biden-Duckworth ticket.

“She’s an incredible story, life story,” Durbin said in an interview. “Disabled veteran, amazing determination, who’s remade her life and now serves in the Senate. She is a symbol of success for the disability community.

“She has a lot of things going for her,” the senator added. “She carries counties in Illinois that I don’t because people respect her military credentials.”

Biden is currently leading President Trump in a number of state and national polls.

It is not yet known what kind of impact Biden’s vice presidential pick would have on the election, however, a Hill-HarrisX poll released last week showed 23 percent of Democratic voters saying they wanted Harris as his running mate, while 22 percent said the same about Warren. Four percent said they wanted to see Duckworth on the ticket.

— Julia Manchester

 

READ MORE:

Don’t count out Duckworth in Biden VP race, by The Hill’s Amie Parnes and Alexander Bolton.

Clyburn: Biden needs VP pick who has ‘a lot of passion’ by The Hill’s Tal Axelrod

Trump campaign cancels ad buys to review messaging strategy: report, by The Hill’s John Bowden

 

FROM THE TRAIL:

The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump GOP group, released an ad on Friday hitting President Trump over his suggestion to delay the general election. The ad suggests that Trump is worried he won’t win reelection due to his low approval rating and backlash over his coronavirus response. The Hill’s J. Edward Moreno reports.

 

FROM CONGRESS AND THE STATES:

House Democrats are warning that the integrity of November’s elections are under significant threat from foreign actors — and the Trump administration, they say, is going out of its way to conceal the danger from the public. The Hill’s Mike Lillis reports.

The Chamber of Commerce formally threw its support behind Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R) in her reelection bid against Democrat Theresa Greenfield on Friday. The Hill’s Alex Gangitano reports.

Democratic candidates are gearing up to attack their Republican opponents over the issue of school reopenings ahead of November’s elections. Tal reports.

 

PERSPECTIVES:

Zoe Fenson: You don’t have to be excited about Biden to vote for him. 

David Harsanyi: Obama’s filibuster hypocrisy.

Damon Linker: Could America split up?

 

POLLS:

JMC ANALYTICS AND POLL–MASSACHUSETTS SENATE PRIMARY

Markey: 40%

Kennedy: 36%

MASON DIXON – FLORIDA PRESIDENTIAL

Biden: 50%

Trump: 46%

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

Aug. 4:

Arizona primaries

Kansas primaries

Michigan primaries

Missouri primaries

Washington primaries

 

Aug. 6: 

Tennesse primaries

 

Aug. 8:

Hawaii primaries

 

Aug. 11:

Connecticut primaries

Minnesota primaries

Vermont primaries

Wisconsin primaries

Georgia primary runoffs

 

Aug. 18:

Alaska primaries

Florida primaries

Wyoming primaries

 

Aug. 17-20:

Democratic National Convention

 

Aug. 24-27:

Republican National Convention

 

Sept. 1:

Massachusetts primaries

 

Sept. 8:

New Hampshire primaries

Rhode Island primaries