Local

Potential VP pick featured at state Democratic Convention

TACOMA, Wash. — Tom Perez may not be the best known of the vice-presidential prospects, but he could turn out to be the top choice.

In his dinner speech to Washington Democrats, he appeared to relish a VP candidate's traditional role-partisan attack dog.

“We must not allow prejudice to be disguised as patriotism. It is not,” he shouted.

Perez is a surrogate for presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

So in a one-on-one conversation before the speech, we asked if he wants her to pick him.

“I haven't had any conversations or given any thought to that,” Perez responded. He didn’t depart from the political tradition that VP prospects not express their interest in the job.

In his day job, Perez is the Secretary of Labor, He's also known in Seattle as the Department of Justice Civil Rights chief who ordered police reforms. And he's won elections before, as the first Latino elected to his county council in Maryland.

He spent personal time in Seattle today, supporting an initiative to raise wages. He says it’s an issue the Democrats will push nationwide as part of the plan to win the election.

“Certainly, 1433--the ballot initiative--is a big issue, minimum wage and paid leave.”

It's almost exactly a month till the Democratic National Convention. By then, Tom Perez might have a new title.