Appearing Monday on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, 2020 presidential candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell pledged to select a woman as his vice-presidential running mate if he wins the 2020 Democrat White House nomination.
A partial transcript is as follows:
JOY REID: I have to ask you this question. You’re from the great state of California. We know that Senator Kamala Harris is also running from the great state of California. A lot of consternation among women, who are looking at this field that’s got a lot of diversity in it — African-Americans, women — but the white guys are all polling at the top. The current polling average has Biden, Sanders, O’Rourke, and then Kamala Harris, Senator Harris in fourth place. Why does the field need another, to be blunt, another white guy in the field? I mean, there are a lot.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL: Yeah, and Kamala Harris and I come from the same District Attorney’s Office, so I have great respect for her. I don’t think anyone’s identity should hold them back, but I think the next president should see all races, all identities, but recognize where you can’t speak for someone’s experience, and past the mic to someone who can. I’ve pledged that I would ask a woman to serve as vice president. I would put forward a diverse candidate, and I would put forward policies that would make sure that inherent bias did exist, or discrimination that exists in communities, would be eliminated, and that we would make sure everyone everywhere has opportunity.