Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who says he wants “to be ready to be president on day one,” has reportedly got his eye on a new possible candidate for vice president.
Rep. Karen Bass, 66, has been the representative for the state’s 37th congressional district since 2013. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she started in community activism while in middle school, when she volunteered for Bobby Kennedy’s presidential campaign.
“California Rep. Karen Bass has shot to #3 in the odds to become Joe Biden’s running mate amid reports that she has moved up on Biden’s short list,” elections betting analyst Dan Kilbridge of bookies.com says.
“Bass, who heads the Congressional Black Caucus, is reportedly getting serious consideration from Biden to be the vice presidential pick on the Democratic ticket. Bass hasn’t been listed on 888’s odds, which were taken down over the weekend but back up on Monday, and only recently appeared on Ladbrokes’ list. She’s at +600 at Ladbrokes, up from +700 on Friday, and has the third-best odds. 888 listed her at +550,” Kilbridge says, citing other betting sites.
Sen. Kamela Harris (D-CA) is still the top pick, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has plunged in the odds.
“Elizabeth Warren was once considered a favorite and has dropped to 5th in the betting odds,” Kilbridge said. “Multiple polls find her to be the most popular pick among Democrats, especially progressives. However, Massachusetts has a Republican governor, who would get to fill her seat until a special election is held. While that might only present a short-term roadblock, it might not be something the Democrats want to mess with, given a narrow Senate majority might be in the balance.”
Tony Coelho, a former California lawmaker, has been pushing Bass hard to the Biden camp, the California Globe reported last week. “According to a highly placed source in Sacramento, Coelho, whose 10-year stint included many atop the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has been in close contact with the Bass camp. The source told the Globe that Coelho told another person that ‘Biden’s folks told Bass it’s her or Duckworth.'”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is also moving up fast on the bookies’ charts.
The latest odds set by bookies.com, which are based on a $100 bet:
Kamala Harris +100 (1/1)
Susan Rice +350 (3.5/1)
Karen Bass +600 (6/1)
Tammy Duckworth +800 (8/1)
Val Demings +1600 (16/1)
Elizabeth Warren +1600 (16/1)
Michelle Obama +2000 (20/1)
Keisha Lance Bottoms +3300 (33/1)
Michelle Lujan Grisham +3300 (33/1)
Gretchen Whitmer +3300 (33/1)
Stacey Abrams +5000 (50/1)
Amy Klobuchar +10000 (100/1)
