Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia will join the growing chorus of Democrats encouraging former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to run for president in 2016, according to remarks Kaine is scheduled to give Saturday at a South Carolina event and obtained by CQ-Roll Call.  Kaine joins Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., other elected officials and party operatives, who support the Ready for Hillary operation — a super PAC building a campaign infrastructure if Clinton decides to run in 2016. The super PAC is not affiliated with Clinton.  

“I’m doing my bit now to encourage Hillary Clinton to run,”  Kaine is set to say at a South Carolina Women’s Democratic Council breakfast Saturday morning, according to excerpts of remarks as prepared. “I’m encouraging my constituents in Virginia and also encourage all of you to do the same thing by joining the Ready for Hillary movement that already has 2 million supporters.”  

Kaine is in South Carolina to keynote the state’s annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner .  

A former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Kaine was the first governor outside of Illinois to endorse Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary.  

Kaine is still mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick in 2016, or a cabinet appointee if Democrats keep the White House that year.