MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, a former presidential candidate in the 2020 election, announced Thursday she is withdrawing from consideration to be presidential candidate Joe Biden's vice president.
"After what I've seen in my state, what I've seen across the country. This is a historic moment and America must seize on this moment ... I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket. If you want to heal this nation ... this is sure a hell of a way to do it," Klobuchar said in an interview with MSNBC anchor Lawrence O'Donnell.
Once considered a contender for the former Vice President's VP choice, Klobuchar's chances were said to have waned somewhat due to her track record while prosecutor for Hennepin County, according to Democratic party members close to Biden's campaign.
During that time, more than two dozen people - mostly minorities - died in encounters with police.
According to NBC News, when asked whether the uncertainty over her record on police brutality would have muddied her chances as a vice presidential nominee, Klobuchar said, "I think I could've functioned fine, and there's a lot of untruths out there about my record and now is not the time to debate these."
Biden has vowed to pick a female candidate.
Democrats with knowledge of the process said Biden's search committee had previously narrowed the choices to as few as six serious contenders, including: Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California, as well as Susan Rice, who served as President Barack Obama's national security adviser.
But, the process remains fluid.
