Hillary Clinton has officially named Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her pick for the Democratic Party's vice-presidential nomination.
Kaine, who had been widely tipped as her running mate in the lead up to the official announcement, has previously served as Virginia Governor and Mayor of Richmond before he was elected to the US Senate in 2012.
The 58-year-old is a Harvard-trained lawyer, and while his experience may not be as vital to the Clinton camp as the Mike Pence pick was to the Trump ticket, his influence in the state of Virginia could help the Democrats claim a victory in a key state in November.
Taking to Twitter, Clinton said she was "thrilled" to announce Kaine as her VP, as he has "devoted his life to fighting for others".
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) 23 July 2016
The announcement comes just days before the Democratic National Convention begins in Philadelphia on Monday, where Clinton and now Kaine will be confirmed as the party's nominees.
Many, including those who backed Bernie Sanders throughout the course of a hard-fought primary campaign, had hoped that she would pick a vice presidential running mate with a tougher stance on Wall Street, with Kaine being dubbed a somewhat 'safe' pick.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren had reportedly been in the frame for a while, and came to the fore as a result of her attacks of Donald Trump in Twitter. While she now won't be Clinton's running mate, there's every chance that she will be given a position of some importance should the Democrats prevail over Trump in November.
