The United States has never had a female president or vice president. Only two women have ever been vice-presidential nominees for a major party: former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2008 and former New York Rep. Geraldine Ferraro in 1984.

The issue was brought up during the Sunday debate by CNN’s Dana Bash, and the answers given by the candidates were pretty straightforward. The former Vice President is committed to not just have a woman on the ticket with him but also put the first African American woman on the supreme court. 

“If I’m elected president, my Cabinet, my administration will look like the country, and I commit that I will, in fact, appoint a, pick a woman to be vice president,” Biden said at the CNN-Univision debate in Washington, DC.

Biden continued, “There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow. I would pick a woman to be my vice president.”

Biden has repeatedly expressed the willingness to choose one of his former 2020 rivals, including Klobuchar, Harris, and Warren. Harris and Klobuchar are the only ones who have endorsed Biden for president and also appeared at campaign events with him.

The Biden camp has also talked about former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and former acting Attorney General Sally Yates about a potential vice presidential pick.

The move has generally been praised, but some see it as an apparent attempt at pandering for the woman vote.

Also Read: Could Bernie Sanders Drop Out?

Sanders was more measured in his response, emphasizing that he’s more likely to go with the adequately progressive candidate. He also added that because there is no shortage of progressive female candidates, he shouldn’t have any problem going in that direction too.

“For me, it’s not just nominating a woman,” Sanders said. “It is making sure that we have a progressive woman, and there are progressive women out there, so my very strong tendency is to move in that direction.”