Though Hillary Clinton’s race for the Democratic nomination isn’t yet decided, with Senator Bernie Sanders at a disadvantage but not yet out of the running, she has to begin thinking in the mindset of victory. When an official nominee emerges this summer, that candidate would be leagues behind if he or she hadn’t laid the groundwork for the general election campaign. And so it’s about time for frontrunner Clinton to begin searching for a running mate from the ranks of the party, a selection slightly more rigorous and high-stakes than the tribute ceremony from The Hunger Games.

The New York Times on Saturday tapped anonymous Clinton campaign sources for some key insights on possibilities for her potential right-hand man — or woman. The most exciting name on the long list is Elizabeth Warren, senator from the liberal-friendly Massachusetts, and a populist favorite for her bold stands against regressive reproductive health bills. Complicating Warren’s chances are the fact that she has not yet endorsed Clinton for president, preferring to provide non-partisan support for both Clinton and Sanders. Still, advisers said, Warren’s name remains in the mix. Regardless of how things shake out in the weeks to come, having two women on a single ticket would be an electrifying, historical occurrence.

Naturally, Clinton’s campaign has thought beyond Warren as well, assembling around 15-20 political players for her to consider. According to the Times’s story, other hopefuls include “Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, former governors from the swing state of Virginia; Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who represents both a more liberal wing of the party and a swing state; former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, a prominent African-American Democrat; and Thomas E. Perez, President Obama’s labor secretary and a Hispanic civil rights lawyer.”

The key to selecting a good running mate is balance; the potential VP should have strengths corresponding to the candidate’s blind spot, have a personality complementing the candidate’s, and see eye to eye on all key issues. According to the report, Clinton “cares less about ideological and personal compatibility than about picking a winner, someone who can dominate the vice-presidential debate and convince Americans that Mrs. Clinton is their best choice.” Despite a rougher-than-expected primary season in which the Democratic party has been forced to confront its own populist angst, the position remains highly coveted and will have no shortage of pursuers. Veep be damned, the Vice President’s office is still a hot property.