Democratic elected officials and national convention delegates from Colorado cheered Hillary Clinton’s announcement that she had chosen Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate, saying the one-time governor brings strong executive chops to the ticket, along with crucial foreign policy experience gained on Senate committees.

Key supporters of Clinton’s chief primary rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, weren’t as full-throated in their support for the choice, but a leading Sanders delegate from Colorado said Kaine still amounted to a better potential vice president than Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, tapped last week by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

“Hillary Clinton’s selection of Sen. Tim Kaine is a safer pick than what progressives across the nation were hoping for,” said state Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton. “His credentials and experience, particularly as a civil rights attorney, tell us that he keeps disadvantaged communities in his heart and mind. While we were hoping for a more progressive partner, Sen. Kaine’s pick is still moving forward, which is more than the country can say about the Republican ticket.”

The Colorado Democrat thought to have been among just a handful of finalists for the nomination last week greeted the news with enthusiasm.

“Great choice @HillaryClinton,” tweeted Gov. John Hickenlooper. “@TimKaine is one of America’s hardest working, optimistic, experienced public servants.”

Clinton announced that she was naming Kaine late Friday in a tweet after word leaked to several news organizations that he was her choice. He’s scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech on Wednesday night in Philadelphia, a day before Clinton delivers hers at the DNC.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet called Kaine “a friend and model public servant” and said his “enduring optimism and vision for our country will serve the American people well,” adding, “He will make a great vice president.”

One of Clinton’s most ardent supporters in the state said Kaine’s range of experience bodes well for his ability to step into the No. 2 position in the executive branch.

“Tim Kaine has been an effective mayor, the successful governor of a politically divided state and a solid U.S. senator – and in that last capacity, he serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees,” said U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, the chief deputy whip among House Democrats. “This man simply radiates experience and knows how to get things done.”

Her colleague U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter had similar praise for the candidate.

“Sen. Tim Kaine is a smart, down-to-earth guy with great credentials,” he said. “Together with Hillary Clinton, they make an incredibly experienced and well-qualified pair that will work hard for the American people and lead our country in a positive direction.”

Several Colorado Democrats brought up various jobs held over the years by Kaine, who got his start on the Richmond, Virginia, city council before being elected the city’s mayor, then lieutenant governor, then governor and most recently senator.

“Tim Kaine has dedicated his life to helping underserved communities – from his missionary work in Honduras to his fight for civil rights and affordable housing for those with disabilities in Richmond,” said state Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, the Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman in the 6th Congressional District. “He has a positive vision for the future of our country and what we can achieve if we work together.”

Another Sanders DNC delegate, Denver Democrat JoyAnn Ruscha, said she was encouraged by the possibility Kaine could help a Clinton administration push its agenda.

“He is a moderate Democrat who has a good relationship with both Clintons, is well liked by his peers and is seemingly drama-free. He’s the kind of vice president Hillary Clinton is going to need if she wants to get anything through a deadlocked Congress,” Ruscha said.

Former state Sen. Polly Baca, the chief whip for Colorado’s Clinton delegates – she’ll be attending her 14th Democratic National Convention next week – took a break from her cross-country drive to send a message applauding the announcement, calling Kaine “a perfect choice.”

“I am delighted that Secretary Clinton has selected Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate,” Baca said in a text message. “He has what this country needs: foreign policy experience, executive experience, and he speaks fluent Spanish.”

Colorado Democratic Party Chair Rick Palacio called Clinton’s choice “a testament to her commitment to effecting real change that will make a difference in the lives of American families.” Kaine, he added, “has never shied away from taking a stand on the issues important to many Americans, especially Latinos. I’m proud to support a candidate whose running mate will stand up for immigrants and minorities nationwide.”

David Sabados, chair of the Colorado Young Democrats, said Kaine was “the perfect compliment to our ticket.”

“Tim Kaine appeals to Western voters in states like Colorado: a gun owner who believes in background checks and getting military weapons off the streets, Kaine understands the balance so many of us in the West feel,” Sabados said in a statement. He predicted that Kaine would help Clinton appeal to moderate Republicans turned off by “the radical rhetoric coming out of the Trump campaign.”