Hillary Clinton Picks Tim Kaine: Reactions to Her Running Mate Choice
Reactions have come in from Republicans and Democrats.
— -- Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton announced Senator Tim Kaine as her vice presidential pick, a senator from Virginia, as well as a former Virginia governor and chair of the Democratic National Committee.
After texting supporters, Clinton posted this tweet:
Here are some reactions from politicians and other leaders on Clinton's selection:
Republican Party
Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement that a Clinton-Kaine ticket would represent “four more years like the last eight, just with more corruption and scandal.”
“Hillary Clinton’s choice of Tim Kaine does nothing to unify a fractured Democrat base which is repelled by her dishonesty and cronyism,” Priebus said in a statement.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, was one of 17 candidates for the Republican nomination for president:
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a prominent critic of Trump, tweeted his own support for Clinton's selection:
Democrats on the Shortlist for the VP Job
Several Democrats who were on the shortlist for Clinton’s pick voiced their enthusiasm for a Clinton-Kaine ticket:
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro was on the list of potential running mates since his keynote address at the 2012 Democratic National Convention:
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker tweeted his support for Kaine. Booker was a contender on Clinton’s shortlist:
Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar’s also emerged as a possible number two for Clinton:
Capitol Hill
Democratic Leader and former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi applauded Clinton’s decision, saying in a statement that “Tim Kaine is an exceptional choice to be our next Vice President. Senator Kaine's judgement, experience and values make him an excellent complement to the Democratic ticket, and he will be a strong partner to President Hillary Clinton in the White House.”
Sen. Claire McCaskill represents Missouri, the state in which Kaine went to college:
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed to Clinton’s senate seat in 2009 after she was named secretary of state:
Virginia
Several of Kaine’s colleagues from Virginia politics shared their support for the Clinton-Kaine ticket on Twitter.
Kaine’s colleague in the Senate, Mark Warner, tweeted his support for Clinton’s choice twice:
Virginia congressman Don Beyer also shared his support for Kaine:
Organizations
The leaders of several left-leaning political organizations and groups applauded the decision.
Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List said that “Senator Kaine has been a strong supporter of economic opportunity for women – he has stood alongside our women in the Senate and fought for equal pay for women, raising incomes of American workers, and protecting access to health care through the Women’s Health Protection Act.”
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, issued a statement lauding Clinton’s choice, saying “While Donald Trump doubled down on discrimination by picking Mike Pence, Hillary Clinton has bolstered her campaign's historic commitment to LGBTQ equality by choosing Tim Kaine.”
Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee released a statement on behalf of the organization expressing disappointment at the selection. “As we saw in Donald Trump’s speech last night, Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year. Unfortunately, since Tim Kaine voted to fast track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Republicans now have a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue.”
President of the Service Employees International Union Mary Kay Henry said in a statement that “Tim Kaine is an experienced leader with a proven track record on issues from raising wages to immigration reform and racial justice.”
ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks, Benjamin Siegel and Meghan Keneally contributed to this report.