Hillary Clinton named Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia to be her vice presidential running mate Friday evening, merely hours after campaigning in Tampa.
Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, announced her selection in a text message sent to her supporters.
“I’m thrilled to tell you this first: I’ve chosen Sen. Tim Kaine as my running mate,” read the message.
A U.S. Senator from Virginia, Kaine is a former mayor of Richmond as well as lieutenant governor. Virginia is a swing state that will likely lean blue this coming election, notes The Washington Post.
Although Clinton and other speakers emphasized to the Tampa rally crowd to sign up to receive text messages from Clinton, Clinton did not name her running mate during the event.
But Clinton did speak about how she was criticized for four full days at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. She then admitted that it was “kind of perversely flattering” that the convention was largely about her.
“It's hard to believe they spent so much time talking about me and no time talking about jobs or education or healthcare,” Clinton said. “[Never] have we moved forward by pointing fingers, scapegoating and blaming people instead of rolling up our sleeves, getting a plan together and then working to achieve it.”
Clinton also commented on Republican nominee Donald Trump’s statements during the convention, namely his utterance “I alone can fix it.”
“I've never heard of an American leader, or at least someone who wants to be an American leader, claiming that he's all we need,” Clinton said. “That's not a democracy, my friends. As I recall, we had a revolution to make sure we didn't have someone who said, ‘I can fix it alone.’”
Many in the crowd were hopeful after hearing Clinton speak at the rally.
“It is amazing knowing that I am in the presence of history,” said St. Pete resident Grieta Patenaude, 42. “Women are now in charge and we are great leaders.”
“We’re the only country that has not had a female leader,” said Plant City resident Ken Wood, 56. “It’s time that we balance the load a little bit.”
Clinton concluded the Tampa rally by reminding supporters of how “love trumps hate.”
“We need more love and kindness in this country,” Clinton said. “We need more respect between and among our fellow Americans. We need to be listening more to each other.”
Clinton and Kaine will appear together for the first time as a Democratic ticket at a campaign rally in Miami Saturday, two days before the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Check back for our on-the-scene coverage from the DNC, and follow us on Twitter at @cl_tampabay.
