WARWICK, R.I. — Unsuccessful presidential candidate and former Hewlett-Packard chief Carly Fiorina is being vetted as a potential vice presidential pick by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Fiorina aide said Monday.

Fiorina, 61, has been an active supporter of Cruz since shortly after she ended her own presidential bid in February, frequently introducing him at campaign events and fundraisers.

Cruz’s campaign manager tweeted that aides had begun vetting possible picks, but he didn’t name any.

Fiorina has never held elective office. She unsuccessfully ran for Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat in 2010 and was painted as a heartless corporate chief who enjoyed a jet-setting lifestyle as she moved jobs offshore before being fired herself at HP. Democrats would certainly resurrect those attacks if Cruz wins the nomination and picks her as his running mate.

When Fiorina launched her presidential campaign in 2015, she was an afterthought whom few voters had ever heard of. A pair of sterling debate performances briefly increased her standing in the polls, but her campaign failed to capitalize on the momentum in a crowded GOP field. Fiorina received 2 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses and 4 percent in the New Hampshire primary before ending her campaign.

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