FACTBOX: Possible Democratic vice presidential candidates

(Reuters) - Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is in the early stages of what he says will be a deliberative and wide-ranging search for a running mate.

The Illinois senator has said he could take as long as two months to settle on a candidate. His Republican rival in the November election, John McCain, who clinched his party's nomination in March, began his selection process much earlier and could name his running mate first.

Here is a list of some possible Democratic vice presidential candidates:

* Evan Bayh, 52 - The Indiana senator was a supporter of Hillary Clinton during the nomination battle. He has been vocal on national security issues in the Senate as a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee. He is said to have an even temperament that might be a good fit with fellow Midwesterner Obama.

* Joseph Biden, 65 - The senator from Delaware, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is a respected foreign policy expert who would give Obama authority on the issue. But Obama might not want to add a second senator to the ticket, and could be looking for a fresher face to reinforce his message that this election is about change and the future.

* Wesley Clark, 63 - A retired Army general and former NATO commander who ran unsuccessfully for the presidential nomination in 2004. Clark is a supporter of Clinton who could help rally the party and provide a boost on national security issues. But he did not run a strong campaign in 2004 and would be unlikely to generate much enthusiasm among party activists.

* Hillary Clinton, 60 - Polls have shown strong Democratic support for a "dream team" ticket of Obama, the first black to win a major-party presidential nomination, and Clinton, his top rival for the nomination, who sought to become the first woman to win the White House. Obama has not ruled out the option, which would help unify the party after a long nominating battle. But the New York senator and former first lady also would bring complications, including the return of former President Bill Clinton to the White House. A joint ticket could help attract some of Clinton's supporters -- including women and white working-class Democrats -- who have been reluctant to support Obama.

* Tom Daschle, 60 - The former Senate Majority leader from South Dakota was an early backer of Obama. He is a friend and close adviser to the Illinois senator and many of his former staff members and associates serve in senior roles on the Obama campaign. Daschle has also been mentioned as a possible chief of staff in an Obama administration.

* Chuck Hagel, 61 - The Republican senator from Nebraska, a conservative Vietnam veteran but outspoken critic of the Iraq war, would help Obama reach out to independents and Republicans and reinforce his promise to bridge partisan divides.

* James Jones, 64 - The retired Marine Corps general is the former commandant of the Marines and supreme commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Jones retired from the military in 2007, then served as special envoy for Middle East security. He would bring the extra foreign policy and military experience that Obama lacks and provide a counterpoint to the Republican ticket headed by decorated veteran McCain.

* Tim Kaine, 50 - The Virginia governor was one of Obama's earliest and strongest supporters and could help him in a state that traditionally has been Republican in presidential elections but has been turning Democratic in recent years.

* Sam Nunn, 69 - The former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman from Georgia is a respected foreign and military policy voice, but his age and conservative views on some social issues might make him an awkward fit with Obama.

* Bill Richardson, 60 - The New Mexico governor, a Hispanic, could help with the Latino vote -- the fastest-growing segment of the electorate and a potentially vital voting bloc. A seasoned negotiator, the former energy secretary, congressman and U.N. ambassador would also bring foreign policy experience to the ticket as well as inside knowledge of how Washington works.

* Kathleen Sebelius, 60 - The two-term governor of Kansas could bring some vital elements to the ticket: she's a woman and as the leader of a mostly Republican state has shown she can work across party lines. But she is largely untested on the national stage.

* Jim Webb, 62 - The first-term Virginia senator, Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy has written seven novels, including "Fields of Fire," considered one of the best novels about the Vietnam War. Webb could help Obama in a state that has turned more Democratic in recent years. He and Obama campaigned together last week. Webb, who stayed neutral during the primary, hailed the Illinois senator at the rally as "a man of great intellect" who showed "unshakable composure" in the nomination battle.

(Reporting by Deborah Charles and Caren Bohan)