MINNEAPOLIS — The Democratic National Convention is less than two weeks away and presumptive nominee Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will not be traveling to Milwaukee in person to accept the nomination. He cited coronavirus concerns for his decision. Instead he said he would make a speech from Delaware.
While his nomination won't come as a surprise his Vice President pick is still up in the air.
For weeks, several names have been floated. Senator Kamala Harris, former national security advisor Susan Rice, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. The list is long, but it's a good one, according to Women Winning executive director Meggie Wittorf. Women Winning is a group that organizes support for pro-choice women running for office.
"Luckily, there's no shortage of effective and prepared women, particularly women of color who are already leading and ready for this responsibility," Wittorf said.
She explained that Joe Biden's promise to pick a woman as his running mate is important for many reasons.
"This is an important decision that Biden has in front of him right now," she said. "He must pick the strongest candidate and the strongest leader to hold this office. We also have to remember while it has been done before-- selecting a woman as a running mate--it is still rare and we have never seen a woman in the office of Vice President of the United States."
Wittorf also pointed out that in other countries where women hold executive office, they've fared better during the coronavirus pandemic than the U.S. has.
"We talked about women around the country, in terms of the response tot he coronavirus pandemic but in terms of legislators--we see that women legislators sponsor more bills, pass more legislation and secure more funding for their districts," she added.
Plus, having a woman in the second-highest office in the country will no doubt have lasting effects.
"It is harder to be something you cannot see," Wittorf said. "So having an incredible woman leader at the highest levels of office is really important for our next generation, especially children who aspire and want to lead politically. It is also critically important for our current generation of eligible voters to see women who have incredible experience who are prepared in leadership positions. This is important for all of us."
Wittorf emphasized that as citizens of the United States, we shouldn't expect any less from a potential Vice President.
"We need to have expectations of fantastic leadership and experience, especially under times of crisis," she said. "These women bring that to this conversation and you can see what they offer."
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin August 17, in Milwaukee, Wis.