Stacey Abrams says she is not being vetted to be Joe Biden’s running mate.
“I have said many times that if called I will answer, but I have not received any calls,” the former Georgia state representative and 2018 gubernatorial candidate said Wednesday night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Colbert had asked Abrams about a June 4 tweet from April Ryan, Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, that said she was among the women being vetted.
“Are you calling April Ryan a liar?” Colbert asked.
“I look forward to hearing from whomever April Ryan is speaking to,” said Abrams, who ended her state House tenure as minority leader and lost the 2018 gubernatorial race to Republican Brian Kemp by a 50.2%-48.8% margin.
Biden’s vice presidential selection committee started reaching out to potential picks at the end of May. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Florida Rep. Val Demings, and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar are among the women who have started the vetting process. Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto declined to go through the process. Biden said he expects to announce his pick around Aug. 1.
Abrams has long been mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick, and she has not been shy about saying she would take the job if asked. She has been profiled in many prominent news outlets and is a frequent guest on talk shows.
While Abrams has said that she is not “pitching” herself to be vice president, many reports suggest that she is actively campaigning for the job. Politico, citing unnamed labor leaders, reported last month that Abrams has privately asked powerful Democrats to tell Biden campaign officials that she should be his pick.
