Biden's running mate announcement pushed back, likely will not come next week

WASHINGTON – Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, previously said the announcement of his running mate would be in the first week of August.

But that announcement has been pushed back.

A source familiar with the process said that an announcement isn't likely next week. According to the New York Times and CNN, the announcement will come the week before the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled for Aug. 17 to 20.

Three candidates, Karen Bass of California, Sen. Kamala Harris of California and former national security advisor Susan Rice, have emerged as the top contenders for Biden's running mate, according to the reports from the Times and CNN.

Harris, who ran for president in the 2020 primary, emerged as an early favorite to be Biden's vice presidential pick. However, over the past several weeks, Bass has been moving up Biden's list along with Rice, according to CNBC.

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After Biden in March committed to choosing a woman as his running mate, around a dozen women were initially part of the former vice president's shortlist.

Biden has faced pressure from Democrat to pick either a Black woman or woman of color as his running mate.

In July, the group She The People, which advocates for women of color, outlined concerns about Biden's outreach to women of color, particularly in battleground states. One way to help gain support among the crucial voting bloc was for Biden to pick a woman of color as his running mate, the She the People memo stated.

Biden in a July 20 interview with MSNBC's Joy Reid said four Black women are under consideration, but he declined to name them.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2020 election: Joe Biden running mate announcement pushed back