
The Biden campaign has informed some of the women the former vice president’s team vetted about his choice of running mate, three sources familiar with the matter tell CNN
Rep. Karen Bass of California was told by Joe Biden himself that she was not the pick, a source familiar tells CNN.
Bass had a relatively low-profile relative to the other VP contenders under consideration. She is serving her fifth term representing California's 37th Congressional District, which is based in Los Angeles County, and is the current chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
She was first elected to Congress in 2010, and represented the state’s 33rd Congressional District for two years before redistricting occurred. In addition to chairing the CBC, Bass serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, where she is the chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, and the House Judiciary Committee. She is also the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth.
Prior to serving in Congress, Bass represented the 47th District in the California State Assembly from 2005 to 2010 and became the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the California Assembly. She previously served as the Assembly Majority Whip and Majority Leader.
Before running for office, Bass spent several years working as a physician assistant in one of the nation’s largest trauma centers in Los Angeles.
The other contenders: The former vice president has spoken directly to the final contenders, according to people familiar with the process, through either face-to-face meetings or remote conversations.
Officials would not say which of the candidates visited Biden in person, but CNN confirmed last week that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had flown to Delaware for a meeting. California Sen. Kamala Harris and former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice are among the others seen as the most serious contenders.
CNN had previously reported that Biden was also believed to be considering Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, people familiar with the search say.