Boring, solid Tim Kaine is Clinton’s Vice-President pick

Hillary Clinton on Friday named US Senator Tim Kaine, a popular and experienced Spanish-speaking senator from the swing state of Virginia, to be her running mate in the White House showdown against Donald Trump.

The pick comes three days before the start of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where Mr Clinton — and now Mr Kaine — will be elevated as the nominees to the party’s presidential ticket.

“I’m thrilled to announce my running mate, @timkaine, a man who’s devoted his life to fighting for others. — H,” the former secretary of state tweeted.

Mr Kaine, 58, swiftly tweeted: “Just got off the phone with Hillary. I’m honoured to be her running mate. Can’t wait to hit the trail tomorrow in Miami!”

Widely seen as a “safe and solid” choice in a brutal election race that is almost certain to become nastier – Mr Kaine himself jokes that he is “boring” – the former Virginia governor emerged as a frontrunner in the veepstakes because he ticks so many boxes.

An experienced foreign policy hand who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, he could help Ms Clinton lock in two key voting blocs: Hispanics and the battleground state of Virginia.

Ms Clinton and Mr Kaine also have , and are said to share an easy rapport and an interest in policy details.

“I do have a fondness for wonks,” Ms Clinton said in a PBS interview. And when asked whether Mr Kaine was boring, Ms Clinton said, “I love that about him He’s never lost an election.”

Ms Clinton, 68, said she wanted a running mate with enough experience to “literally get up one day and be the President of the United States.”

Republican Party chief Reince Priebus dismissed Ms Clinton’s choice of running mate, but stopped short of attacking Mr Kaine himself — a sign, perhaps, of his strength as a consensus candidate, as reflected in the response of another Republican, Arizona Senator Jeff Flake. “Trying to count the ways I hate @timkaine. Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend,” he tweeted.

Mr Kaine had made it to Barack Obama’s VP shortlist in 2008.