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It's Official: Hillary Just Chose Her Vice President

Five things you need to know about her pick.

Less than 24 hours after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention, which ended with an extremely polarizing speech by Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has taken back the spotlight by making her announcement for Vice President.

Clinton's running mate will be Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. The longtime politician bested others on the shortlist which included Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Julian Castro. While some may feel that Kaine is the "basic" choice and are disappointed at the lack of diversity on the ticket, Kain is both well liked in Washington and in his home state, and is known to be a good guy with bipartisan appeals.

Both Clinton and Kaine tweeted the announcement on Friday evening:

Here are five things you should know about the man who will be second in command if Hillary wins the White House this November.

1. He was on the short list for Barack Obama's vice president in 2008. While Obama ultimately chose Joe Biden, the president and Kaine remain incredibly close and it was even reported that Kaine called Obama just minutes after getting off the phone with Clinton in which he accepted her offer. 

2. He is fluent in Spanish. Though he is of Irish-Catholic descent, Kaine learned Spanish while on a Jesuit mission in Honduras in 1980. But we're not talking just a few words and catch phrases: In 2013 Kaine spoke in Spanish for almost 13 minutes on the Senate floor advocating for an immigration overhaul bill.

3. He has never lost an election. Kaine began his political career on the Richmond, Va., City Council in 1994 and was later elected to be the city's mayor. In 2001, Kaine won the race for Virginia's lieutenant governor, and in 2005 was elected governor. He then won his seat in the U.S. Senate in 2012.

4. He's a musician, just like former President Bill Clinton. Just like Hillary's husband, Kaine is an avid musician. He has taken the stage to play harmonica both on and off the campaign trail, and he is also a tenor in his church choir.

5. He has a son in the military. Kaine's son Nat is an active-duty Marine, making Kaine one of just a few Senators to have a child serving in the military.

Clinton made what political experts are calling the smart choice. With Kaine as her running mate Clinton's ticket is one of the most experienced in decades. Like Clinton, Kaine prefers the work of governing over the showmanship of campaigning. That said, Kaine hits the campaign trail tomorrow and will surely play a vital role at next week's Democratic Convention.

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