On Monday the 5th or Tuesday the 6th, US Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate and will attend a campaign event in Philadelphia with her running mate on Tuesday. The media reports that her choice will provide a crucial early window for people to understand her thoughts, policies she intends to implement, and her views on the election.
CNN reported that Vice President Kamala Harris met with her vetting team over the weekend and conducted in-depth interviews with each potential vice presidential candidate, according to a source familiar with the process.
Candidates in contention on Saturday, the 3rd, included Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
By Sunday, the number of candidates Harris interviewed had been reduced to three. Sources stated that Harris interviewed three top candidates at her Vice Presidential residence: Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Eric Holder’s law firm, former Attorney General, was responsible for the vetting process, with reports of him arriving at the Vice Presidential residence in Washington at the Naval Observatory on Saturday morning. Sources familiar with the review process stated that Harris followed her custom of “dive deep and ask a lot of questions.”
The selection of a running mate is often a political consideration. Her choice provides a significant early insight into her thoughts, the policies she will implement, and her perspective on the election. CNN reported that a senior Democratic Party member familiar with the selection process described the three “Cs” that Harris looks for in a Vice Presidential candidate: “Competence, Chemistry, and Core Values.”
For days, Democratic Party leaders have been telling the media that despite Harris not finalizing her decision, all signs point to her choosing 51-year-old Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate.
On Monday, insiders informed CNN that as Harris narrowed down her selection of a running mate over the weekend, attention was focusing back on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The Vice President is still weighing whether choosing Shapiro or Arizona Senator Kelly would help her secure victory in battleground states.
Shapiro, 51, born in Missouri but raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, comes from a background where his father was a pediatrician, and his mother was an educator. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Rochester and a law degree from Georgetown University.
Shapiro is seen as a moderate Democrat capable of attracting independent voters and gaining support for Harris in crucial battleground state Pennsylvania, where Democrats narrowly won in 2020.
According to CBS News, prominent Pennsylvania union leaders support Shapiro, including from the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council and the Laborers’ District Council representing over fifty local unions.
NBC News reported that many Republicans see Shapiro as a strong running mate for Harris. However, former Speaker of the House and California Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi supports Tim Walz, a source familiar with Pelosi’s thoughts told The Hill, citing her longstanding relationship with Walz who served six terms as a congressman.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders stated his support for Walz, emphasizing that he understands the needs of working families.
United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain expressed support for Kentucky Governor Beshear or Minnesota Governor Walz, stating that the union does not support Shapiro.
Arizona Democratic Senator Kelly indicated on Sunday on the social platform X that his mission now is to “serve the people of Arizona,” hinting that he was not ultimately selected as the Vice Presidential candidate. However, he later deleted the post and posted another that sparked further speculation.
“My background is different from most politicians. I’ve served in the Navy and NASA, always putting the mission first. Now, my mission is to serve the people of Arizona,” Kelly initially wrote.
Less than an hour later, Kelly deleted the post and replaced it with another, stating, “Whether serving in the Navy and NASA, in the Senate, or visiting our troops overseas, I understand that when your country calls, you always answer.”
The second post received hundreds of replies, with many seeking to understand if he had been chosen.
“Wow – !! Is it you! Are you telling us you’ve been selected as Vice President, Mark Kelly?” one user wrote. Another even suggested, “Looks like Mark Kelly is the Vice President.”