CHICAGO — Tammy Duckworth is no longer an afterthought in the Democratic veepstakes.
The Illinois senator and Purple Heart recipient has landed squarely in the conversation after a high-profile clash with Tucker Carlson last week and her advocacy against politicization of the military in the weeks prior.
The attention hasn't escaped Biden's vetting team. It has stepped up information-gathering on Duckworth recently, scrutinizing her legislative record and talking to her colleagues, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
A contingent of Duckworth-for-VP backers, including high-dollar donors and a politically active veterans group, has intensified efforts on her behalf in the past two weeks, pushing her as the best choice for Biden’s running mate.
“I’ve been working my rear end off, trying to get Joe to look at her favorably,” Joe Cotchett, a longtime friend of Biden’s and prominent West Coast Biden bundler, told POLITICO. Cotchett said Duckworth’s no-nonsense response to Carlson has further elevated her prospects.
“If you put Tammy Duckworth on the ballot, a lot of veterans are saying to me, ‘Boy, she represents not only the Midwest but she represents what our party is all about,’” Cotchett said. “Having no legs, to me, is an attribute in this insane election year. It brings to the table a veteran who has been severely wounded that’s speaking out for women and veterans and showing that she’s someone who can take on ‘Cadet Bone Spurs.’”
Susie Buell, a prominent Democratic megadonor, is among those firmly in Duckworth’s camp. Buell backed her home-state senator Harris for president during the primary, but called Duckworth her top pick for vice president.
“I think Tammy is amazing and she would be a great choice,” Buell said. “She certainly has shown her devotion and commitment to country. She is indisputably experienced and prepared. Who could not get behind her?”
John Atkinson, a longtime fundraiser for Duckworth, described a “fury” of recent interest in the senator’s prospects for vice president.
“As this thing gets closer to the selection and as Sen. Duckworth’s profile gets elevated, there’s a lot of excitement among donors,” Atkinson said. “Universally it’s, ‘She’d be fantastic for the ticket. She’d be great.’ The common theme is that as Trump continues to try and politicize our military or wrap himself in the flag to suit his political fortunes, or to attack the Constitution she fought to protect, Tammy is in a unique position to challenge him aggressively and authentically.”
Vote Vets, which promotes progressive candidates for office, is pushing hard for Duckworth to be named Biden's running mate.
“She’ll be a great partner on the campaign trail,”
a narrator says in a video entitled “Duckworth is Ready.” “Mike Pence won’t know what hit him.”
VoteVets Chairman Jon Soltz said the group will step up its advocacy for Duckworth as Biden nears his decision. Soltz argued that Duckworth's personal qualities are in line with Biden's but that she also has demonstrated an ability to appeal to swing voters. He cited her outperforming Hillary Clinton in more conservative Illinois counties in 2016.
“Tammy Duckworth is loyal. She did not attack Joe Biden” during the presidential primary, Soltz said. “Tammy has a very good relationship with Joe Biden and has had a relationship with him for many years.”