Who is Tim Kaine? A closer look at the Virginia senator

Hillary Clinton has chosen Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her vice presidential running mate, Clinton said Friday.

The Clinton team is hoping his extensive governing experience — as a former governor, lieutenant governor and Richmond mayor — will provide a strong contrast to the Republican ticket.

The pick was expected earlier Friday, but it was delayed after reports of a mass shooting in Munich that claimed at least eight lives.

As a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, Kaine also further adds to the Democratic ticket's national security credentials, which could already tout Clinton's tenure as secretary of State.

Kaine is considered a safe pick — a swing-state moderate who appeals to independent voters — and he was already vetted by Barack Obama’s team in 2008 (he was an early supporter of the then-Illinois senator during his primary campaign with Clinton). Kaine and Clinton took a test run during an appearance together in northern Virginia on July 14.

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Kaine is also fluent in Spanish and a strong advocate of overhauling the immigration system — both assets as Clinton counts on a strong Hispanic voter turnout, given GOP nominee Donald Trump's controversial statements about Mexican immigrants and proposed wall along the southern border.

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Another advantage for the Democratic Party with Kaine's selection: Virginia’s current governor, Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, would appoint another member of the party to fill Kaine’s seat.

Still, Kaine is not the progressive firebrand Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clinton's defeated primary rival, and his supporters have been advocating for, and they may be disappointed by Clinton’s decision. Kaine cut deals with a Republican legislature as Virginia governor and supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Clinton now says she opposes. As a Catholic, Kaine personally opposes abortion, although he’s voted to protect abortion rights.

In any other recent presidential cycle, Kaine’s more moderate profile would be considered an asset. But Sanders has warned he will hold Clinton to account on several progressive campaign pledges she’s taken, and Kaine’s pick may not be reassuring.

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Kaine not considered a lively speaker who will be the kind of attack dog Clinton may need to combat Trump. On NBC’s Meet the Press, Kaine recently acknowledged that “I am boring.”