Heading into the convention vote Saturday as the heavy favorite to win the presidential nomination for the Green Party of the United States, former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney on Thursday named her running mate — "hip-hop artist" Rosa Clemente.

McKinney's campaign spokesman John Judge confirmed her choice of Clemente, who he described as a "hip-hop activist and journalist."

Neither McKinney, who made the announcement in a news release, nor Clemente was available for comment. Both are in Chicago for the Green Party's 2008 convention.

McKinney served six terms representing DeKalb County's 4th Congressional District as a Democrat and now lives in California. She has a more than 10-to-1 lead in the Green Party's delegate count over her closest rival for the nomination, Jesse Johnson, of West Virginia.

About 800 delegates are attending the convention at the Palmer House Hilton hotel. The nominating vote is Saturday, with McKinney, 53 – who has been campaigning since last fall on a slogan of "Power To The People" – expected to win on the first ballot.

In a prepared statement, Clemente said she accepted McKinney's invitation to be her running mate because she believes the former Georgia Congresswoman's platform addresses issues not addressed by Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama.

"I chose to do this, not for me, but for my generation, my community and my daughter," said Clemente, 35, in the statement. "I don't see the Green Party as an alternative, I see it as imperative."

If nominated Saturday, McKinney's and Clemente's names will be on ballots in about 36 states, but not in Georgia, where the Green Party did not collect enough signatures, according to state law, to get on the November ballot.