(NewsNation) — Former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner says she’s saddened that Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick “has to” be a white man.
“People are talking about affirmative action,” Turner said on “CUOMO.” “We are affirming affirmatively, right now, accepting the fact that she has to pick a white man.”
Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate before Aug. 7.
That’s the date the Democrats’ virtual nomination roll call is scheduled to be completed, so the party will need to present its completed ticket.
Turner wants the American people “to have a deep conversation” about affirmative action.
Since America was founded, “45 of the 46 presidents were white men, and 46 of the 46 vice presidents were white men,” Turner said. And even now that the barrier has been broken, Turner added, pundits are saying she has to choose a straight white man in order to be considered a viable candidate.
According to a source with knowledge of behind-the-scenes discussions, the vice president is looking for a running mate who she believes “balances” the ticket, who can be a governing partner and has executive experience. Also important to her is somebody she has chemistry with and feels she can trust, the source adds.
That all has meant an accelerated vetting process, which usually runs months, has to be completed in weeks.
NewsNation’s The Hill contributed to this report.