The Top 10 women Joe Biden might pick as vice president

"I'm going to have a choice in the first week in August," former Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday of his vice presidential pick "and I promise I'll let you know when I do." But he now appears to be back to the original plan! So, assuming Biden makes the pick sometime next week, these are likely my last rankings of who that pick might be. (If Biden doesn't announce the pick next week, obviously I will have one more set of rankings next Thursday.) A word of caution before you proceed: The veepstakes is a very tough thing to figure out because the people who actually know what's going on aren't talking, even as virtually everyone else is talking. Below are my best educated guesses on the likelihood of these women being named as VP by Biden. But I wouldn't bet your mortgage on it. 10. Tammy Baldwin: Democrats picked Wisconsin for the site of their quadrennial party convention because they believed the state held the key to winning back the White House. So picking the popular senior senator from the state as VP makes sense too, right? Yes, but as Biden's lead nationally and in the Electoral College has grown, the necessity of making a geographic pick has waned. (Previous ranking: 10) 8. Val Demings: After a burst of attention a month or so ago, the Florida congresswoman appears to have lost a bit of altitude in the selection process as a result of : After a burst of attention a month or so ago, the Florida congresswoman appears to have lost a bit of altitude in the selection process as a result of several stories that were very critical of how she dealt with controversial cases during her time as Orlando chief of police. That doesn't mean she couldn't still be the pick. As CNN's Harry Enten noted last weekend, no Republican has won the White House without winning Florida in almost 100 years -- and Demings on the national ticket would likely strengthen Biden's hand in the Sunshine State. (Previous ranking: 7) 7. Elizabeth Warren: Admittedly, I have had the Massachusetts senator ranked all over the place during this VP process. She's been as high as No. 3 and as low as No. 8. Last week I split the difference and put her at No. 5. I remain largely convinced that Biden will pick a woman of color as his VP nominee for lots of reasons -- Trump's clear attempts to weaponize race, the death of George Floyd and the protests that have followed, the passing of former Rep. John Lewis to name a few. But if Biden does pick a white woman, Warren is likely in the front of the line. (Previous ranking: 5) 5. Tammy Duckworth: The Illinois senator has a personal story of service, struggle and triumph that could well have massive appeal across the political spectrum if she is put on the ticket. A helicopter pilot during the Iraq War, : The Illinois senator has a personal story of service, struggle and triumph that could well have massive appeal across the political spectrum if she is put on the ticket. A helicopter pilot during the Iraq War, she was shot down