WASHINGTON _ Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said Thursday she no longer wished to be under consideration as Joe Biden's running mate.
Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected to the Senate, was viewed as a top contender for the Democratic presidential ticket, but she said in a statement she wanted to focus on helping Nevada recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
"I support Joe Biden 100% and will work tirelessly to help get him elected this November," she said in a statement. "It is an honor to be considered as a potential running mate but I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration. Nevada's economy is one of the hardest hit by the current crisis and I will continue to focus on getting Nevadans the support they need to get on back on their feet."
Cortez Masto was elected to the Senate in 2016 after serving as Nevada's attorney general. She also serves as the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a key position as the Democrats look to take control of the chamber.
Cortez Masto, 56, has not been actively campaigning for the vice-presidential slot, but she was seen as someone who could help increase Latino turnout. She also has a close relationship with former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, whose seat she filled after he retired. In addition, Cortez Masto knew Biden's late son, Beau, who served as Delaware's attorney general.
Biden has said he will choose a woman to be his vice president.
Others believed to be in contention are Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, California Sen. Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Florida Rep. Val Demings has said she was on Biden's "short list." New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she has been asked for references, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told NBC's "Today Show" that she'd had opening conversations with the campaign about joining the ticket.
