TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — From the very start, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine was a front-runner to join Hillary Clinton on the Democratic ticket.
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Yet Kaine didn’t get the offer from Clinton until Friday night, just a half-hour before it was announced.
People familiar with the decision tell The Associated Press that Clinton faced a difficult choice between Kaine and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Iowa’s former governor is also a longtime Clinton friend.
In the end, Kaine’s experience in foreign affairs and his record of winning campaigns in swing-state Virginia put him over the top.
Clinton and Kaine are expected to campaign together in Florida on Saturday.
