WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton may name her choice for vice president as early as Friday, and despite repeated flirtations, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is not expected to propose to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Instead, three other Democrats — U.S. Sen. Timothy Kaine of Virginia, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Labor Secretary Tom Perez — emerged this week as more likely picks to join the Clinton ticket. Vilsack’s son, Doug Vilsack, lives in Colorado.

Hickenlooper, a second-term governor, made a list of potential No. 2 picks for the Clinton campaign, but Democratic operatives and Hickenlooper allies concede he did not make the final cut, barring a drastic change.

Still, the former brewpub owner, entrepreneur and geologist, who just released an intimate autobiography, is considered a top-tier pick for a Cabinet position in a potential Clinton administration, possibly as secretary of commerce or interior. “I would be surprised if he didn’t get an appointment,” said Ted Trimpa, a Democratic political operative in Colorado.

The decision not to put him on the Democratic ticket suits Colorado GOP strategist Josh Penry just fine.

“As a guy who will no-chance-in-hell vote for Hillary, I do think Hickenlooper would be a real political value-add for their side,” he said. “Which is to say — I hope she picks Tim Kaine.”

Speculation about Hickenlooper has circulated for a year but became more serious in June when the governor met privately with Clinton for an hour when she visited Denver for a campaign event. In an interview after the meeting, Hickenlooper said he discussed the position with Clinton and expressed interest in serving, a reversal from a year prior when he dismissed the idea outright.

Clinton met with Hickenlooper again Friday for two hours at her Washington home, one of several bold-faced names to get face time. The others included Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Julián Castro, Housing and Urban Development secretary

Given the names, Trimpa said it suggests the former secretary of state was culling her list. “All of us would love to see our Colorado son be on the ticket,” he said of Hickenlooper. “But I think the company he was in that day with her is to me an indication that Hillary is … letting people know who is not getting it.”

On Tuesday, Hickenlooper declined to answer questions about his meeting with Clinton or his chances for getting the vice presidential nod.

The governor participated in a campaign call for the Clinton team about the new Republican platform and its call to facilitate the transfer of more federal lands to state control — an issue the next interior secretary might face.

Also on the Tuesday call: Ken Salazar, the former U.S. Senator from Colorado and interior secretary under President Barack Obama.

Hickenlooper referred questions about his meeting with Clinton to the campaign. A Clinton spokeswoman declined to comment.

What made Hickenlooper a potential vice presidential pick — and the reasons he didn’t make the cut — play into whether he will get selected for a Clinton administration post, according to a half-dozen Democratic operatives close to the Democrat.

“I believe the governor had appeal to her because he is somewhat of a rebel, an outsider in an executive position who looks at things differently,” said Andy Boian, a Democratic political operative and public relations consultant in Denver. “However, my belief is there are those out there whom she knows better, has a history with, and who appeal to her as more of a known entity, for better or worse.”

Hickenlooper built his political career on his business-friendly outlook and offers a distinct contrast to Trump, Democrats argue, as the New York billionaire faces questions about his career in the corporate world. The state’s strong economy and low unemployment boost his resume, as does his image as a positive campaigner.

“I think he brings things to the table, specifically his ability to represent and work with businesses of all sizes,” said Ben Davis, the co-founder of OnSight Public Affairs, who helped elect Hickenlooper.

The governor’s moderate political appeal also could put Republican voters in the mix, particularly given his pro-energy stance, which conflicts with Clinton on fracking. Given Colorado’s status as a battleground, the governor’s popularity in the state is considered an asset, even though recent polling adds a question mark to the equation.

In Colorado, Hickenlooper’s quirky, independent style plays well, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to confidence in him on a presidential ticket.

A survey of Colorado voters conducted this month by Harper Polling found that 42 percent of them would be less likely to vote for Clinton if she picked Hickenlooper. That’s essentially the same as the 40 percent who would be more likely to back a Clinton-Hickenlooper ticket. The poll’s margin of error was about 4.4 percentage points.

Eric Ostermeier, researcher at the University of Minnesota who writes the Smart Politics blog, said only three of the 29 winning presidential tickets since 1900 lost the home state of the vice presidential nominee. The most recent: Maryland in 1968, when Spiro Agnew appeared on the Republican ticket with Richard Nixon.

If he gets the call, Hickenlooper’s allies expect him to take the job. This year, he declined to say he would serve his entire term as governor. If he leaves, an unelected lieutenant governor, Donna Lynne, would take his post.

But Hickenlooper does add liabilities to the mix: He is not likely to appeal to hard-core Democrats, such as those who supported Bernie Sanders as he won Colorado’s caucus.

“He’s not going to help her bring out the millennials,” said former Republican House Speaker Frank McNulty, who added that Hickenlooper’s approach to the energy sector could hurt, too. “They don’t want to hear about tax breaks for oil and gas companies. They want to hear about windmills, solar panels and taking it to the man.”

The governor’s penchant to speak his mind is another concern, as he is prone to gaffes that distract from his message. Talking off the cuff at an event in October 2015, Hickenlooper expressed doubt about Clinton’s candidacy amid the e-mail controversy, generating national attention.

Even if he’s not on the ticket, expect Republicans to use the Democrat’s words against Clinton in the campaign.