The war hero who could be Biden's running mate

Who is Tammy Duckworth, the US senator from Illinois who is reportedly on the short list for the vice-presidential slot on the Democratic ticket.

Many Democrats believe that her military record and her tenacity during fights with conservatives, as well as her background as an Asian-American, would strengthen Mr Biden's candidacy.

If he chose her as a running mate, say her supporters, she would help to shore up votes among veterans, minorities and women.

Yet many believe that Mr Biden should pick a black running mate instead - Senator Kamala Harris is frequently mentioned as a possibility.

The choice of a running mate has added importance for Democrats because of Mr Biden's age and his own assessment of his role.

Ms Duckworth, who is 52, is best known for her work on veterans' issues.

Ms Duckworth later enlisted in the military, following in the footsteps of her father, a Vietnam veteran.

Who could be Joe Biden's running mate.

Read more about Mr Biden's potential running mate here.

After retiring from the military, Ms Duckworth worked on veterans' issues at the state and national level and was elected to Congress in 2012.

Dick Simpson, the head of the political science department at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says that she has moved up more rapidly than anyone in politics he has seen in half a century

Mr Obama, who also got his start in Illinois politics, rose higher than Ms Duckworth

Peter Levin, the founder of a software company in Washington, worked with her at the US department of veterans affairs and says that she has an innate talent for politics

She has struggled to get legislation passed in Congress, and she has been criticised for her work on veterans' issues

She said all the right things, according to her detractors in Illinois, but many of the veterans' programmes that she spoke about never got off the ground