Hillary Clinton appears to be zeroing in on a decision for a running mate, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack appears to be joining the ranks of likely candidates, according to
Politico.
The Clintons and Vilsack have known each other for years, reports Politico. In 1998, Clinton helped Vilsack become the first Democratic governor of Iowa in three decades. He is the longest serving member of President Barack Obama's cabinet.
The National Governors Association meeting brought up his name amid speculation after Donald Trump added another Midwestern governor, Indiana's Mike Pence, as his running mate.
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, also a former governor, is still seen as the front-runner, according to Politico. Some current and former governors in Midwest states advocated for him at the meeting, and Vilsack himself said he was being considered.
Clinton, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, is meeting and having public appearances with a number of vice-presidential hopefuls, including Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Housing Secretary Julian Castro, and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Vilsack's supporters say he could help Clinton bring in votes from blue-collar men, who have been targeted by Trump.
When Politico asked if Clinton was vetting him as a potential running mate, Vilsack responded: "Has anyone ever answered that question?"
"I'm a workhorse, not a show horse. Not a rock star, I'm rock solid," Vilsack said, adding, "It's not in my nature to market myself."
According to Politico, the need for an "attack dog" as a running mate is no longer necessary now that Trump has chosen the relatively low-key Pence over former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
The only controversy in Vilsack's career was in 2010 when he fired a Georgia USDA official amid accusations by the late Andrew Breitbart of making racist statements. The Obama administration apologized and offered Shirley Sherrod her job back, but she declined.
Mike Conaway, the current chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, is a Republican and a Trump supporter, but offered praise for Vilsack, saying, "He's a capable guy. It's not surprising that someone of his caliber and quality would be on her shortlist."
Vilsack recently weighed in on Trump, reports NBC News, saying he "is sort of to politics what Bernie Madoff was to investment," referring to the disgraced financier who is now serving a 150-year prison sentence for fraud. "He is selling something that people don't fully understand."
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