Lansing — Black female leaders in Michigan have complicated views on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s potential selection as presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s …
Lansing — Black female leaders in Michigan have complicated views on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s potential selection as presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate amid a national push for him to pick a woman of color. Biden, who is expected to announce his choice for vice president this week, has previously said he’ll pick a woman. But some Democrats say the former vice president needs to pick an African American woman, citing a handful of Black female contenders for the job and the heavy support Biden received from Black voters in the primary. The former vice president not only won the Michigan Democratic presidential primary but defeated U. S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont 63%-28% in Detroit — the state’s largest city with a population that is more than 80% African American. « It can’t just be about the vote anymore, » said state Sen. Sylvia Santana, D-Detroit, of Black women’s support of Democrats. « I think we’re at a turning point in our country. » Santana, who founded the nonprofit Black Women in Michigan Politics, is among those hoping Biden picks a Black woman as his running mate. High-level offices need to reflect « the country that we live in, » she said. U. S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, U. S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice have been mentioned among four African American women whom Biden should consider selecting for vice president. There have been no reports of the former vice president interviewing any of the four Black women. Among those who have been vetted is Whitmer, a white woman and Michigan’s top officeholder, who flew to Delaware to meet with Biden in person on Aug.3. Whitmer,48, an attorney by trade and former state lawmaker, was first elected Michigan’s governor in 2018. She has become co-chairwoman for Biden’s campaign and earned national praise for her aggressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
