Jon Swartz

USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — At least two nationally renowned business leaders and an Obama cabinet member with strong ties to the tech economy have been linked to Hillary Clinton's vice presidential list, underscoring a nod to the political importance of corporate America.

Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz were both mentioned by journalist Arianna Huffington in a recent MSNBC appearance as potential running mates of Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. (Huffington did not respond to an email message seeking comment.)

The possibility of Clinton anointing a business leader, however, is scant, political watchers acknowledge. She is likely to choose someone capable of stepping into the presidency.

But speculation about a possible VP nominee from the business world is a testament to the impact tech has on the global economy and an apparent appeal to younger voters who have embraced social media, says Kellan Terry, lead political analyst at social-intelligence platform Brandwatch.

"Yeah. I'm very flattered, but I already have a job," Benioff said in an email message. "I Support Hillary -— she is by far the most qualified candidate to lead our country in these challenging times."

A San Francisco native, Benioff has been a major figure in city politics, advocated more diversity in tech industry and pushed for the industry to step up its philanthropic endeavors.

Starbucks declined comment.

Schultz has overseen several technology initiatives at the coffee chain, including a mobile-payments agreement with Jack Dorsey's Square.

Though not as well-known, Julian Castro, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, has also been floated as a VP choice. The former San Antonio mayor is an intriguing option because he is point man for ConnectHome, an initiative to bring accessible broadband Internet access to 750,000 residents of low-income housing communities in 28 pilot cities throughout the U.S.

"We want to create a greater pipeline of talent for people to join the 21st Century tech revolution, and we see ConnectHome in that vein," Castro told USA TODAY in a phone interview in December.

He declined comment on the VP slot, but the project aligns with Clinton's tech plan, announced Wednesday.

HUD's Castro partners with tech companies to close digital divide

The comprehensive, ambitious plan proposes, among many things, high-speed Internet in every U.S. home by year 2020. It also advocated free WiFi at more airports and train stations.

Clinton wants high-speed Internet in every U.S. home by 2020

Broadband penetration in U.S. homes with annual incomes of less than $50,000 is just 59.3% versus 88.8% in households with higher incomes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Clinton has curried plenty of support from tech leaders and collected nearly $3 million in donations from the industry.

"As I look at what she wants to establish with STEM, and the plan's overall comprehensiveness, it's pretty ambitious," says Blake Irving, CEO of GoDaddy, an Internet domain registrar and web hosting company. "She hit about every point but H-1B visas. But such a plan requires the cooperation of Congress and private enterprise."

Added Box CEO Aaron Levie: "She's done a terrific job of laying out the big themes and offering solutions."

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