UTV | COLOMBO – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris as his running mate – the first black woman and South Asian American in the role.
Once a rival for the top job, the California senator of Indian-Jamaican heritage had long been considered the front-runner for the number two slot.
The former California attorney general has been urging police reform amid nationwide anti-racism protests.
Mr Biden will face President Donald Trump in the election on 3 November.
At a White House news conference on Tuesday, Mr Trump, a Republican, said he was pleased with Mr Biden’s choice, adding she did “very, very poorly” in her effort to become the Democratic nominee.
Ms Harris will debate Mr Trump’s running mate, Vice-President Mike Pence, on 7 October in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The role of a vice presidential running mate isn’t clearly defined.
One of the traditional roles is to go on the offensive in exposing the opposition’s weaknesses, while the presidential nominee focuses on communicating the party’s message, says the BBC’s North America reporter Anthony Zurcher.
A running mate is often a safe bet and minimises the chance of embarrassment.
But with Mr Biden turning 78 in November, he would be by far the oldest person to be sworn in as president, making the potential necessity for Ms Harris to stand in as president more likely than usual.
Only two other women have been nominated as vice-presidential candidates for a major party – Sarah Palin by the Republican party in 2008 and Geraldine Ferraro by the Democrats in 1984. Neither ended up on the winning ticket.
A woman of colour has never been appointed to a presidential ticket by either of the two main American political parties. No woman has won the US presidency either.