A Buffalo native has made it to the top of Hillary Clinton's vice presidential search list.

An announcement is expected as early as this weekend. Clinton is preparing for the Democratic National Convention set to begin Monday in Philadelphia.

Democrats familiar with the search say Clinton's running mate process has focused on Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Labor Secretary Tom Perez, born in Buffalo to first-generation Dominican immigrants.

Perez's maternal grandfather was the ambassador to the United States from the Dominican Republic in the 1930s, until he spoke out against his home country's brutal dictator and was declared non grata. Perez's father, a physician, served in the U.S. Army and worked for many years at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Buffalo. The Labor Department's website says Perez "credits his unrelenting optimism to being a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan."

Clinton's top choices are according to Democrats familiar with the process. They spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private discussions. Clinton is expected to announce her decision during a two-day campaign swing in Florida later this week.

