Susan Rice Reportedly Emerging As Contender For Joe Biden’s Running Mate

Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has emerged as one of the contenders for Joe Biden’s running mate, The Hill reported on Sunday.

According to multiple individuals close to the former vice president’s campaign, Rice is being considered for the position because of her extensive experience in government. Biden’s team is apparently looking for someone who would be comfortable leading the nation amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As one person close to the Biden campaign put it, Rice is “very much in the mix.” The person added that Rice — who also served as former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser — has a good relationship with the former vice president.

“I know they have a good relationship — perhaps the best relationship of anyone on the list. They’ve known each other for years, they’ve worked alongside each other and she’s been tested in a way that a lot of folks on the list just haven’t been.”

The Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee has vowed to pick a woman to be his running mate. His team is reportedly vetting several prominent Democratic women, but Senator Kamala Harris of California is seen as the frontrunner.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is also considered a top contender, but the former vice president is being pressured to choose a woman of color.

According to an individual who worked with Biden and Rice during the Obama administration, Rice “makes perfect sense.”

“Everyone automatically thinks of Kamala when they think he needs to pick a woman of color. It’s become conventional wisdom. But if you look at Susan’s credentials, she makes perfect sense. She’s a rock star who has the confidence, stature and gravitas to be vice president,” they said.

Rice served on Michael Dukakis’s 1988 presidential campaign, on John Kerry’s 2004 White House bid and also worked on Obama’s first campaign. However, the former UN ambassador has never run for political office. In addition, Republicans have spent years attacking her over the Benghazi scandal.

During a recent interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Rice refused to confirm whether she has been vetted by Biden’s team, but she made sure to praise the former vice president, vowing to do all she can to help him win the election.

Recent polling suggests that Biden is a strong favorite to win this November. A CNBC/Change Research poll released earlier this week found that President Donald Trump is trailing his Democrat opponent in Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, and North Carolina.

Similarly, the latest Monmouth University poll showed Trump trailing Biden by 12 percentage points nationwide.