Vice President Kamala Harris will interview three leading candidates — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — at her Washington, D.C., residence on Sunday before a final decision on her running mate.
Harris is expected to announce her pick on Monday, ahead of her first public appearance with the vice presidential nominee on Tuesday in Philadelphia. Reuters was the first to report. Harris's campaign is also planning a social media ad featuring the duo, officials familiar with the preparations said. Reuters.
Harris met Saturday with her vetting team, including former Attorney General Eric Holder, whose law firm Covington & Burling LLP vetted the potential running mates’ finances and backgrounds. Holder and his office made detailed presentations on each of the finalists, according to people familiar with the process.
She met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for 90 minutes on Friday and will also meet virtually with candidates, the sources said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker are the other candidates in contention for the job.
Candidates will be informed Monday evening or Tuesday morning if they have been selected, the sources said.
Choosing a running mate is one of the most important decisions of Harris' political career, as she is hastily preparing a campaign to challenge Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month.
His list includes all white men with a track record of winning support from rural, white or independent voters.
Harris' decision also influences the future direction of the Democratic Party, elevating the chosen candidate to the front of the line for future presidential contests.
Shapiro, a leading contender, has faced harsh criticism from the left, especially from progressive groups and pro-Palestinian activists, for his support for Israel and his handling of campus protests sparked by the war in Gaza.
“There needs to be a policy correction in Gaza and there needs to be a pro-working class political agenda, including a Black agenda,” said Nina Turner, co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign and a fellow at the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, a progressive research group. “Picking Governor Shapiro as a running mate risks closing that door.”
His handling of a sexual harassment complaint against a longtime top aide has also come under question, and labor groups including the United Auto Workers union, which recently endorsed Harris for president, have criticized him for his calls to expand voucher programs that allow public tax dollars to flow to private schools.
Some labor groups have also criticized Kelly for not supporting proposed legislation that they say would boost union organizing.
Shawn Fain, president of the UAW, said that despite endorsing Harris for president, his 370,000-member union is not supporting Kelly or Shapiro as potential running mates.
Walz has become a favorite of progressives and youth groups who relish his attacks on Trump.
At 60, Walz is just a year older than Harris, but critics say he looks much older, which could be a liability for a campaign reeling from Biden's departure over concerns about his age.
Walz responded to this criticism on X, saying that he looks the way he does because he was a high school teacher and “supervised the lunchroom for 20 years. You don't leave that job with a full head of hair. Trust me.”
