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Who Might Be Hillary's Running Mate?

by Lauren Holter

Now that Hillary Clinton's presidential bid is really happening, we can all focus our anxieties on her campaign. She's already put together her main team and secured a campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, but her choice for a running mate is still up in the air. Hardcore Clinton supporters and many Democrats will vote for her no matter what, but in order to win over the hearts of the rest of America, Hillary Clinton needs a vice president that makes her universally supported. Speculation as to who she'll choose started months ago, but now the decision is much more pressing. Who will it be, Hillary?

Choosing a running mate is like picking a spouse — you need to work well together, support and challenge each other, and make up for one another's weaknesses. It's clearly not an easy decision and there's no Tinder for VPs (that I know of). In Clinton's case, she needs someone that appeals to the demographics she doesn't necessarily capture on her own. The 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia is more than a year away, but let's hope she eases our worries and announces her running mate before then. We need to know ASAP so we can start printing both their faces on campaign t-shirts.

Here's the list of likely choices for Clinton's 2016 running mate...

Michael Bennet

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Early speculators named senior Colorado Senator Michael Bennet as a potential running mate for Clinton. With prior experience in the Denver mayor's office and Denver public schools, Bennet was new to politics when he was elected to the Senate in 2010. According to his website, some of Bennet's main political priorities are eduction, agriculture, and renewable energy. His midwest origins would surely help attract voters from the region worried about the land, along with environmentalists concerned about energy.

Tim Kaine

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Speculation also often turned to Tim Kaine, a junior senator from Virginia. Formerly a civil rights lawyer, Kaine now serves on the Senate's Armed Services, Budget, Foreign Relations and Aging Committees and the Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee. His military and foreign relations work would help bolster Clinton's somewhat shaky reputation in the area. Kaine is also Roman Catholic and worked as a missionary for a year in Honduras when he was young, according to his website, which might attract more religious voters.

Elizabeth Warren

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Clinton and Warren have been dubbed the "Dream Team" by many liberals, and *shocker* they're both women. Warren, the senior senator from Massachusetts, appeals to the middle class and blue-collar workers, recently taking it upon herself to keep Wall Street out of politics. Considered a potential 2016 Democratic candidate herself, Warren already has a strong backing, but made it clear she doesn't plan to run for president this time around. So why not latch on to Hillary 2016?

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