Most in new poll say Biden running mate won’t influence their vote | TheHill

A majority of U.S. voters said presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden campaign slams Trump’s Rose Garden event as ‘sad affair’ New shutdowns add to Trump woes CNN cuts away from Trump’s ‘campaign-type’ Rose Garden speech MORE’s choice of running mate will have no impact on their vote in November, according to a new Politico-Morning Consult poll.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said the selection will not affect their vote, compared to 20 percent who said it will have a minor impact and 16 percent who said it would have a major impact.

Forty-five percent of Democrats surveyed said they believed it was important to select a person of color. Only 36 percent said the same in April, before the police killing of George Floyd and a series of protests across the nation against racism and police brutality.

The former vice president has pledged to name a woman, and top contenders reportedly include Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisHillicon Valley: Facebook considers political ad ban | Senators raise concerns over civil rights audit | Amazon reverses on telling workers to delete TikTok Senators raise concerns over Facebook’s civil rights audit Biden’s marijuana plan is out of step with public opinion MORE (D-Calif.), former national security adviser Susan Rice and Rep. Val DemingsValdez (Val) Venita DemingsSusan Rice sees stock rise in Biden VP race Liberal veterans group urges Biden to name Duckworth VP Democrats seize on Florida pandemic response ahead of general election MORE (D-Fla.). Another contender, Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharThe Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Fauci says focus should be on pausing reopenings rather than reverting to shutdowns; WHO director pleads for international unity in pandemic response State election officials warn budget cuts could lead to November chaos Biden strikes populist tone in blistering rebuke of Trump, Wall Street MORE (D-Minn.), withdrew herself from consideration in June, saying it should go to a woman of color.

“You cannot assume the activism we see on the streets is going to translate into voting. You cannot take anything for granted,” Karen Finney, who served as a communications adviser to Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonDemocrat Dana Balter to face Rep. John Katko in NY House rematch GOP lawmaker: Don’t believe polls showing Trump behind Biden Kyle Van De Water wins New York GOP primary to challenge Rep. Antonio Delgado MORE’s presidential campaign in 2016, told Politico. “This would not be the first time we’d have a person of color on the ticket, and I hope it reminds [voters] that that’s part of how Democrats win.”

Democratic strategist Joel Payne, however, said he doesn’t “see anyone going into a voting booth thinking about a VP candidate” and said the polling indicated Biden should focus on a selection that does not hurt his standing in the polls. Running mates “can be a threat that can hurt the ticket — look at John McCainJohn Sidney McCainKelly leads McSally by 9 points in Arizona McCain’s reset: US-Vietnam relations going strong after 25 years Senate outlook slides for GOP MORE and Sarah Palin in 2008,” he added.

Pollsters surveyed 1,992 registered voters from July 10 to 12. The poll has a 2-point margin of error, with higher margins for the subsamples.