Hillary Clinton has officially announced Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate for the 2016 election.

Clinton made the announcement today in the battleground state of Florida, just one day after Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican nomination at the close of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

She chose Kaine from a short list which also included Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. 

Her pick, something she kept close to her chest throughout the vetting process, was something that was considered to be crucial, as she gears up to truly and officially battle against Trump in the months leading up to the November election, which is likely expected to come down to the battleground swing states in determining which candidate will be successful.

Her pick was also considered to be crucial in helping her to truly secure the support of those who formerly pushed for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders to win the party's nomination. Though Sanders did endorse Clinton earlier this month, according to the New York Times, his supporters are behind her, but without much enthusiasm behind making her their choice, meaning she is still unpopular with them and they could potentially be swayed to third-party candidates, giving a bigger edge to the Trump-Pence ticket in the general election.

"Hillary Clinton's vice-presidential pick will be seen by many as a proxy for how she will govern-boldly or cautiously?" Stephanie Taylor, a co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said. "The wrong pick could deflate energy from potential donors and volunteers, hurting Democratic efforts to win the White House."

Clinton and Kaine are expected to make their first joint appearance together on Saturday, at a rally at Florida International University in Miami.

      

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