Will Joe Biden Pick Elizabeth Warren As Vice President? Polling Suggests He Should.

Joe Biden is now the presumptive Democratic nominee and the Vice Presidential vetting process is underway. One name that has been repeatedly floated is Elizabeth Warren. But will Joe Biden pick Elizabeth Warren as Vice President?

Recent polling suggests he should strongly consider it. A poll conducted by Economist/YouGov found that a plurality of Democratic primary voters list Warren as their top VP choice. 27% respondents selected Warren, which was 9% more than California Senator Kamala Harris, who was the second most popular choice. However, 14% stated they weren’t sure. While Warren is the favorite among Democratic primary voters, it’s not necessarily by an overwhelming margin.

Bernie Sanders supporters overwhelmingly prefer Warren as Biden’s Vice President. A poll conducted by Data For Progress found that 61% of Sanders would be more likely to support Biden is Warren is his Vice President. That number is significantly greater than the second most popular choice — again, Kamala Harris (48%).

It’s difficult to know whether these polls are a sign of Warren’s potential strength as Vice President or just a matter of name recognition. A poll conducted by MRG Research found that Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan, is the most popular VP candidate among voters in her home state. In contrast, Whitmer’s approval as a potential Vice Presidential candidate dropped 40% among Wisconsin voters.

It’s important not to discount the importance of name recognition. After all, the only two Democratic candidates for President with near universal name recognition — Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders — did significantly better than the rest of the field.

Biden Is Facing Pressure To Pick Someone Else

Biden is facing pressure to select a woman of color as his running mate. More than 200 black women signed a letter urging him to choose a black woman as his running mate. The letter, sponsored by Sisters Lead Sisters Vote, states, “black women are the key to Democratic victory in 2020.”

Biden is also being pressured by some wealthy donors to reject Elizabeth Warren as a potential VP pick. One Wall Street executive said, “She would be horrible. He would lose the election.”

Biden has yet to release an official shortlist of candidates, but the most common names being floated are Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Gretchen Whitmer, and Stacey Abrams.

The Biden campaign released announced the formation of a four-person committee to help the former Vice President vet potential candidates. It’s unclear when the pick for Vice President will be announced, but a decision is expected some time this summer.

So, will Joe Biden pick Elizabeth Warren as his Vice President? Time will tell, but early indications suggest she’s a top candidate for the position.