Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) dodged a question Tuesday about whether he would accept the offer if Vice President Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, asked him to be her running mate in November.
MSNBC’s Jonathan Lemire asked Peters the question after Axios first reported organized workers advocating for the Michigan senator to join the ticket.
“I respect… the vice president’s process,” Peters said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday. “She’s looking for a running mate now. She has a lot of wonderful people she is looking to who will make the right decision for her and the country.”
“It’s an intensely personal decision and – I want to respect that process – and focus on what I need to focus on right now, as you mentioned in the opening, I chair the Homeland Security Committee here in the Senate,” he added.
Peters then went on to talk about the work his committee is doing, as well as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the campaign arm of the Senate Democrats, of which he is also chairman.
Lemire called Peters’ response a “dodge,” to which Peters responded with laughter.
The news comes after a source told Axios that labor leaders have spoken with the Harris campaign about Peters’ involvement in the running mate selection process. A Michigan Democratic Party official also said Peters has expressed interest in the position and is trying to drum up support, according to the outlet.
Other names touted as possible Harris vice presidential picks include Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (D), Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. (D) and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D). Kelly, Shapiro, Buttigieg and Whitmer emerged as the main names.
Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Biden announced earlier this month that he would drop out of the race and later endorsed her to challenge President Trump in the fall. She quickly secured important endorsements and boasted major fundraising within days of her withdrawal.
An aggregation of polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ shows Trump in the lead, with 47.8% support, compared to the vice president’s 46.1%. A recent poll published Tuesday by Harvard CAPS/Harris puts the former president ahead of Harris by just 3 points, down from the 7-point lead he held over Biden before his exit from the race.
Overall, the polls showed good news for Harris and the Democrats.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
