The search is dynamic, which has evolved significantly from the moment it started, and the source warns that it can change again during intensive inspection. The goal is to have various options for Biden, especially if the initial favorite has complications.

The former Obama administration’s national security adviser Susan Rice is being thoroughly examined, two people familiar with the matter said, as well as Rep. Karen Bass from California, who was highly recommended to Biden by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Clyburn confirmed to CNN that Bass was “being examined.”

Representatives Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin and Tammy Duckworth from Illinois are also included in the broader level being considered, said several sources.

A campaign aide refused to comment on who was examined by Biden’s campaign.

National protests in response to the deaths of several black men and women at the hands of the police have changed at least some thoughts about his search for a running mate, people close to the Biden examination process told CNN, chairing the committee to prepare how the choice of the former vice president would responding to this time of social unrest in America.

“In the past month, we have seen real and meaningful changes in public opinion on racial and police matters in ways that have an impact on this calculus,” said a Democrat who is familiar with the process, pointing to recent polls about changes in sentiment around everything from systemic racism to support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The search committee “confirmed the path they chose with what they thought would be the most important message this fall,” the source said.

While most of the screening has been open before the eyes, with Biden speaking broadly about choosing someone who has a set philosophy, the team of lawyers has spent weeks digging into the backgrounds of serious candidates.

The search was officially led by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, former Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and former Biden adviser Cynthia Hogan, all of whom have interviewed several competitors. Lisa Monaco, a former Homeland Security adviser in the Obama administration, also played a key role in overseeing the selection team.

From researching the cases Harris sued in California to examining complaints made against Demings as chief of police in Orlando, to combing scientific and scientific papers by Rice and Warren, the team of lawyers was still studying the background of potential candidates.

The pandemic has changed at least some aspects of the examination, with much research and conversation carried out virtually, rather than by lawyers traveling throughout the country to explore every chapter in the lives of prospective candidates. But the aim was the same: Looking for something that was embarrassing, disturbing or that could cause problems for Biden, who said he would choose someone who was ready to become president from day one.

“Every stone is turned over, not necessarily directly,” someone close to the process said.

Because some potential competitors are almost unknown nationally, the Biden campaign also organized focus groups, with speeches and videos from candidates shown to gauge voter reaction. This is typical of a recent vice president’s search, but advisers say this research can bring more importance this year because of the unique dynamics of this search.

Biden’s goal has not changed, some people close to him say, although the political landscape has been dramatically changed by protests against racism, injustice and police brutality. Three months ago, Biden announced that he would choose a woman as his partner, but the finalists are now almost all colored women, except Warren, sources said.

But the impact of this moment was felt during the search, especially at Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s decision to resign from the race after her stock fell quickly after weeks of negative publicity about her interactions with the police during her tenure as top. prosecutors in the largest area in the state.

“This is a historic moment, and America must take advantage of this moment,” Klobuchar said in making the announcement that he considered himself. “And I truly believe, I actually told the vice president last night when I called him, that I thought it was time to put a colored woman on the ticket.”

That is the case by many Democratic leaders by force – and in public – and which Democrats are close to the process of being heard by the search committee. Black voters also played an important role in Biden’s main victory, a point not lost in his campaign.

“The environment has become very racist,” said a Democrat with direct knowledge of the process, “that the pressure to choose a woman of color has risen significantly.”

And some prominent Democrats believe that pressure can rise to Biden’s timeline in choosing a running mate. The former vice president repeatedly said that he wanted to make a decision around August 1, but some Democrats believed that both protests that shook the country and pressure on Biden to choose a black woman could make Biden move up on that date.

“As the national momentum in supporting black female VP candidates continues to increase, so does the pressure for Vice President Biden to announce his decision sooner than later,” said Karen Finney, who worked as senior assistant to Senator Tim Kaine when she was Hillary Clinton’s companion partner to 2016

Biden has told several people that his criteria still include, but are not limited to, someone who is running for office and has been tested on the national stage and someone he believes can be a strong government partner. These characteristics remain critical, which led to more than a dozen people close to Biden to tell CNN that they believed Harris was the first choice towards a critical final month.

“He needs someone he can trust who is the best government partner,” longtime ally Biden told CNN. “That hasn’t changed.”

That was 12 years ago this summer when Obama chose Biden to join his ticket. The two are not very close, but Obama told his aide at the time that Biden’s experience and the fact that he was tested on the national stage was very important. Today, the same sentiment informs Biden’s thoughts, some people close to him believe.

In this search, people close to the two men said, Obama was more of a council and advisor to Biden, than someone who would try and direct the scales to one candidate. The two men spoke regularly about the political moment facing the country, said the source, but they had not yet had in-depth talks about the finalists considered by Biden.

Obama was once a strong supporter of Warren, mainly because of his big idea to revive the economy and overcome income inequality. But those close to him admitted it was impossible to separate the vice president’s search from last month’s events in the country.

The report said that while background checks and suggestions from inside and outside the campaign were all important, “the most important consideration is the presidential candidate to know or know the vice presidential candidate personally.” It recommends candidates try to spend several days with each potential candidate.

But that could prove difficult for Biden in the coming weeks. This campaign has drastically reduced the incidence immediately in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, with fundraising being held virtually and all events limited in scope to comply with public health guidelines.

Biden has looked for other ways to test his political chemistry with the women on his short list, including appearing with them on joint video conferences or TV interviews.

Biden’s Ally consistently said that personal comfort would be a major factor for the former vice president, who openly spoke about his close friendship that had developed during his eight years serving with Obama.

The final decision is also expected to be closely guarded before the announcement of the campaign, a strategy that Bauer and Dunn outlined in the 2016 report, saying: “Notification of the selection must be made for the vice-presidential candidate before the public announcement, but with only one or two days’ notice.”