Harris is beginning to vet potential running mates. His initial list includes nearly a dozen names

WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Kamala Harris is beginning to vet about a dozen possible candidates to be his running mate, according to two people familiar with the matter, as he approaches one of the most important decisions of his new presidential bid.

Harris launched her campaign on Sunday after President Joe Biden bowed to pressure from her own party to step aside, leaving a historically compressed timeline for her to make a selection before next month’s Democratic National Convention. Her party could nominate her as soon as August 1st in virtual votingand will be able to formalize the nomination of his running mate soon after.

Harris’ goal, according to people with knowledge of the matter, is to keep the process drama-free as she and Democrats try to project confidence after an extraordinarily tumultuous few weeks for the party.

While much of the political talk has centered on four names – Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper – Harris’ team requested information from about a dozen officials, the people said. who spoke on condition of anonymity. to discuss the confidential process.

The broader list includes Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. At least one of those being evaluated is not currently in government.

Initial requests for information were made on Tuesday, one of the people said.

Shapiro, who on Tuesday said he had not received any requests for verification materials, was less categorical on Wednesday. He referred questions about the process to Harris’ campaign team.

Eric Holder, former US attorney general, and a team of lawyers from his Covington office & Burling is taking the lead in evaluating possible choices. Typically, those under consideration are asked to turn over financial records and records of past political positions and speeches, and to submit to interviews with lawyers to identify potential red flags.

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AP writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.