Tim Kaine Selected as Vice President for Hillary Clinton - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine (D) could be the next vice president of the United States.

Hillary Clinton announced on Twitter that Kaine would be her running mate. Virginia Democrats are reacting with great enthusiasm on the Internet.

Kaine now heads to Miami for his first joint appearance with Clinton as her official running mate. She's scheduled to appear with him at Florida International University for a rally.

Following the big announcement Friday, the Democratic Party of Virginia, Senator Mark Warner, and Governor Terry McAuliffe are all congratulating Kaine on social media. For months, McAuliffe has advocated to his friends, the Clintons, to pick Kaine.

Democrats and political experts say all roads to the White House go through Virginia, and this will make her campaign in the commonwealth stronger.

"For Virginia it takes Virginia off the swing state map. I can't imagine even Republicans other than the Trump backers would suggest that Virginia would still be competitive this year," said Larry Sabato, of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Sabato says this also escalates Kaine's already seasoned political career. At 57-years-old, he says the potential vice president could one day even be the commander in chief.

While several top Republicans in Virginia congratulated Kaine, many cautioned that he will now have to 'defend the indefensible' in their view. They say Kaine has a strong character and is a devoted public servant, but they think he has too much integrity to run with Clinton.

WASHINGTON (AP) -On Friday Tim Kaine was selected by Hillary Clinton to be on her ticket as vice president. 

Hillary Clinton says in a text message to supporters that she's picked Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine to join her on the Democratic ticket as their party's nominee for vice president.
    
In the message, Clinton says: "I'm thrilled to tell you this first: I've chosen Sen. Tim Kaine as my running mate."
    
Kaine is expected to join Clinton at a rally in Florida on Saturday.
    
A favorite since the start of Clinton's search for a running mate, Kaine is a former governor of the battleground state and former mayor of Richmond.
    
Kaine won election to the Senate four years ago after serving as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
    
Clinton is choosing Kaine from a group that included Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

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