Hillary Clinton set to announce her running mate

Democrat Hillary Clinton was close to announcing a vice presidential running mate last night, with US senator Tim Kaine of Virginia leading a small group of contenders under consideration to help her do battle with Republican rival Donald Trump.

Another senator, Cory Booker of New Jersey, along with agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack were also among the final contenders, with Mr Kaine having an edge, a Democratic source with knowledge of the discussions said.

Ms Clinton’s campaign declined to comment. She was expected to announce her running mate for the November 8 election through a text message or Twitter.