Who did Hillary Clinton pick as her VP and running mate? Say hello to Virginia senator Tim Kaine, the choice over N.J.'s Cory Booker, the former mayor of Newark. Clinton's pick of Kaine comes as the Democratic Party is preparing for the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
CLEVELAND -- Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Friday night chose Tim Kaine as her running mate, bypassing U.S. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and two Hispanic members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet.
Clinton, who next week will become the first woman nominated for president by a major U.S. political party, passed up a chance to pick the first black or Hispanic candidate for vice president.
Instead, she picked Kaine, the senator from Virginia, over Booker, Warren, fellow progressive U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
The announcement was made just after 8 p.m. and Booker immediately reacted.
I'm thrilled to announce my running mate, @TimKaine, a man who's devoted his life to fighting for others. -H pic.twitter.com/lTVyfztE5Z
-- Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 23, 2016
KAINE IS ABLE!!!
-- Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2016
Booker calls out 'friend' Christie
Clinton's choice came a day after businessman Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination and in advance of the start of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia Monday.
Her decision to pick Kaine was designed to contrast the Democratic ticket's extensive experience in both domestic and foreign affairs with that of Trump, making his first try for public office. Clinton is a former first lady, U.S. senator and U.S. secretary of state.
Before becoming a U.S. senator, Kaine was governor of Virginia, a key swing state in November. He speaks fluent Spanish and often is used as a surrogate to the Spanish-speaking media in Washington.
But she passed up a chance to energize black voters, a major element in the coalition that elected President Barack Obama to two terms in the White House; as well as the progressives and young people so important to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' surprisingly strong run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
While neither Hispanic Cabinet member was selected, a Latin advocacy group, Mi Familia Vota, applauded the choice of Kaine, who backed Obama's executive orders to shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation and supported bipartisan legislation that offered a path to citizenship for the unauthorized immigrants and increased border security,
"She has chosen a running mate that has a track record of advocating and fighting for the issues that affect the Latino community and our nation," said Ben Monterroso, executive director of Mi Familia Vota.
The co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Stephanie Taylor, said Kaine's selection makes it more important than ever for Clinton to urge Obama to drop the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the free-trade agreement with Asian nations that was attacked by both Sanders and Trump.
"The mood of the country is a populist one," Taylor said. "The center of gravity in the Democratic Party has shifted in a bold, populist, progressive direction -- regardless of who is selected by Hillary Clinton as vice president."
Booker, 47, the former mayor of Newark, was the first black elected to the Senate from New Jersey.
He has been active for Clinton on the campaign trail, endorsing her early, helping her raise money, campaigning for her in the primaries and coming to Cleveland during the Republican National Convention to push back at the attacks on her.
He already has been given a speaking role at the Democratic convention.
This year, he wrote a book, United, further raising his national profile. The tome talked about the lessons he has learned in public life, including the need to work with others, the reason he has become such an advocate for overhauling the criminal justice system, and his belief that the current generation of black leaders owe a debt to the civil rights icons who paved their way and need to pay it back.
Still, at a time when the Democrats are trying to win back control of the U.S. Senate, the choice of Booker would make it that much harder as Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, would choose an interim replacement.
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook