2004 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

2004 Democratic vice presidential nomination

July 6, 2004 (2004-07-06)

Nominee John Edwards Home state North Carolina

Previous Vice Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards

On March 2, 2004, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in the 2004 Presidential Election. Kerry selected North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running mate on July 6, 2004. The Kerry–Edwards ticket was ultimately defeated by the Bush–Cheney ticket in the general election, and Edwards returned to the Senate following the campaign but left politics less than two months later.

Selection Process

The vice presidential selection process was led by James Johnson, former chief executive officer of Fannie Mae and Chairman of Walter Mondale's 1984 Presidential Campaign. Kerry, who had been considered by Al Gore in 2000 as a potential running mate, sought to ensure that the selection process was discreet. To evade reporters, Kerry interviewed Edwards at former Secretary of State Madeline Albright's home in Washington D.C. Alyssa Mastromonaco, who would later serve as White House Deputy Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama, organized Kerry's meetings with the candidates.

Reported Shortlist

Pundits and those close to the Kerry campaign indicated that candidates narrowed to five potential choices.

• 
  Retired Army General and 2004 presidential candidate
  Wesley Clark
  of Arkansas
• 
  Senator and 2004 presidential candidate
  John Edwards
  of North Carolina
  (1999–2005)
• 
  Representative and 2004 presidential candidate
  Dick Gephardt
  of Missouri
  (1977–2005)
• 
  Senator and 2004 presidential candidate
  Bob Graham
  of Florida
  (1987–2005)
• 
  Governor
  Tom Vilsack
  of Iowa
  (1999–2007)

Announcement

The night before the campaign's announcement of the selection of Edwards, the information was leaked by an airport worker who saw Edwards's name being painted on Kerry's plane. On July 6, the Kerry campaign sent an e-mail message to his supporters at about 8:15 a.m. EDT informing them of the choice, and made the formal announcement at 9 a.m. EDT in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Media speculation on possible vice presidential candidates

Members of Congress

• 
  Senator
  Evan Bayh
  of Indiana
  (1999–2011)
• 
  Senator and 1988 presidential candidate
  Joe Biden
  of Delaware
  (1973–2009)
• 
  Former Senator and 2000 presidential candidate
  Bill Bradley
  of New Jersey
  (1979–1997)
• 
  Former Senator
  Max Cleland
  of Georgia
  (1997–2003)
• 
  Senator
  Hillary Clinton
  of New York
  (2001–2009)
• 
  Representative
  Jim Clyburn
  of South Carolina
  (1993–present)
• 
  Senator
  Tom Daschle
  of South Dakota
  (1987–2005)
• 
  Senator
  Dick Durbin
  of Illinois
  (1997–present)
• 
  Senator
  Dianne Feinstein
  of California
  (1992–2023)
• 
  Former Senator and 1984 presidential candidate
  John Glenn
  of Ohio
  (1974–1999)
• 
  Former Representative
  Lee H. Hamilton
  of Indiana
  (1965–1999)
• 
  Senator and 1980 presidential candidate
  Ted Kennedy
  of Massachusetts
  (1962–2009)
• 
  Former Senator and 1992 presidential candidate
  Bob Kerrey
  of Nebraska
  (1989–2001)
• 
  Senator
  Mary Landrieu
  of Louisiana
  (1997–2015)
• 
  Representative
  John Lewis
  of Georgia
  (1987–2020)
• 
  Senator and 2004 presidential candidate
  Joe Lieberman
  of Connecticut
  (1989–2013)
• 
  Senator
  Blanche Lincoln
  of Arkansas
  (1999–2011)
• 
  Republican Senator and 2000 Republican presidential candidate
  John McCain
  of Arizona
  (1987–2018)
• 
  Senator
  Bill Nelson
  of Florida
  (2001–2019)
• 
  Senator
  Sam Nunn
  of Georgia
  (1972–1997)
• 
  Representative and House Minority Leader
  Nancy Pelosi
  of California
  (1987–present)

Governors

• 
  Janet Napolitano
  of Arizona
  (2003–2009)
• 
  Bill Richardson
  of New Mexico
  (2003–2011)
• 
  Ed Rendell
  of Pennsylvania
  (2003–2011)
• 
  Jeanne Shaheen
  of New Hampshire
  (1997–2003)
• 
  Mark Warner
  of Virginia
  (2002–2006)

Federal executive branch officials

• 
  Former Secretary of the Treasury
  Robert Rubin
  (1995–1999)

Other individuals

• 
  Former United States Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
  Anthony Zinni
  (2001–2003)

See also

• John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign
• 2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries
• 2004 Democratic National Convention
• 2004 United States presidential election
• List of United States major party presidential tickets