Biden won't name a vice presidential pick until early August

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden hopes to name his running mate by roughly Aug. 1, amid an unofficial competition already underway.  

The former vice president reportedly said Wednesday during a fundraiser that his vetting committee was in the middle of "deciding the basic cut" of the candidates. He also said his vetting committee members are considering candidates and are trying to determine "whether or not they really want it."

Biden said during the Democratic primaries that would pick a female running mate. 

Former Georgia State House minority leader and one time gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams appears to be among the frontrunners.

Abrams, whose national profile has been raised considerably since losing the governor's race in 2018, has for weeks been campaigning for the position, unusual because the process is typically behind the scenes and the announcement is rolled out as a surprise. 

Biden is under pressure from his strong black voter base to select an African-American woman for his partner. The former vice president said earlier this month that "significantly more than one black woman" is being considered for the job. 

Former presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was reported last week to be in the vetting process. However, Biden said Tuesday on CNN that background checks have yet to take place. 

Fellow Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California are also reportedly in the running, as is Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.