TIME is almost running out for Kamala Harris to nominate her Democratic running mate on the presidential ticket as a self-imposed deadline approaches.
Harris reportedly narrowed the field to six vice presidential candidates and is scheduled to meet with three of them on Sunday at her Washington, D.C., residence.
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The Democratic presidential candidate has booked a one-on-one meeting with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, according to a anonymous source who spoke to the Washington Post.
The vice president stole the world’s attention when she rallied support from Democratic Party members just hours after President Joe Biden’s shocking announcement that he would not seek re-election in November.
On Friday, Harris officially secured the Democratic Party’s nomination for president in the 2024 election, marking the first time a Black woman has led a national ticket in American history.
With the Democratic candidate’s place at the polls secured, all eyes are on who will stand by her side as her running mate – and time is running out.
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Harris’ presidential campaign announced last week that the presumptive nominee would name her pick for vice president by Tuesday.
With less than two days to go, news that only Walz, Shapiro and Kelly scored last-minute chances to take their cases to the next possible president has led many to think that Harris is making her final decision soon.
As recently as Friday, at least three other leading candidates were under consideration by the vice president.
But unlike the trio mentioned above, it’s unclear whether Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker met with Harris this weekend — and what meetings mean.
THE FINAL THREE
Harris campaign spokespeople said they are looking beyond the eligibility of a vice presidential candidate.
All of the top finalists are white men, likely due to the assumption that voters would prefer a politically moderate white man to balance the Democratic ticket, as reported by The Washington Post.
Beyond demographics, the ideal Democratic running mate will uphold the three Cs: competence, chemistry and core values, campaign officials said CNN.
The search team met with lawyers and investigators to complete the in-depth vetting process that all high-profile candidates must go through before receiving an official appointment on Saturday.
Harris is scheduled to attend a rally with her running mate for the first time in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
The event will kick off the duo’s first five-day campaign tour, with stops in seven swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO
Excitement over the possibility of the Pennsylvania governor joining Harris on the Democratic ticket began almost as soon as Biden withdrew the nomination.
At a Harris campaign event in Philadelphia on July 26, speakers devoted significantly more time to discussing the merits of a potential Vice President Shapiro than to directing comments at Harris herself.
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Participants also donated millions of dollars more to his campaign than originally expected, according to Political.
Pennsylvania’s governor had intended to attend fundraisers in the Hamptons this weekend but abruptly canceled those plans, said Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder. ABC news.
Some have speculated that Harris may be leaning toward Shapiro as a pick thanks to his running mate’s expected debut in Philadelphia, but the call could be a coincidence.
MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ
The Minnesota governor was also named as the front-runner for Democratic vice president by campaign analysts.
Walz has openly supported Harris for president and has attended several of the candidate’s campaign events.
He was recently credited with labeling Republicans as “weird,” a description that appears to resonate with voters and even the leading Democratic candidate, according to CNN.
“Some things [Trump] and his running mate are saying it’s just weird,” Harris said last week, echoing the governor’s mandate.
Kamala Harris’ potential running mates
Kamala Harris accepted Joe Biden’s endorsement for the Democratic presidential nomination after the president ended his re-election bid on July 21.
Harris said he plans to win and win the Democratic nomination while uniting the party.
Who are Kamala Harris’ potential running mates?
- Pete Buttigieg: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg ran for president during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, competing against Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.
- He was widely considered a breakout star, becoming the first openly gay candidate to win a presidential primary or caucus when he narrowly won the Iowa caucus during the 2020 primaries.
- Buttigieg was one of the first Democrats to formally endorse Kamala Harris after President Biden.
- In his statement, Buttigieg said Harris was “the right person to take up the torch, defeat Donald Trump and succeed Joe Biden as president.”
- Andy Beshear: Governor Beshear has carved out a successful career in the heavily Republican state of Kentucky.
- The 46-year-old two-term governor fully supported Harris for president and said he would consider being her running mate.
- Gretchen Whitmer: Michigan Governor Whitmer is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party.
- In 2020, the two-term governor caught the eye of Joe Biden as a possible running mate before ultimately choosing Harris.
- Whitmer joined the growing list of Democrats who have supported Harris for president.
- A Harris-Whitmer campaign would be the first female candidate for a U.S. political party.
- Gavin Newsom: Prominent California Governor Newsom’s name has long been associated with a potential presidential candidate in the upcoming election.
- Newsom has already endorsed Harris for president, saying, “No one is better at prosecuting the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision.”
- But there could be a problem if Harris and Newsom are in the same position.
- Both Newsom and Harris come from Californiaand according to the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, both members of a presidential ticket “shall not be inhabitants of the same state.”
- If Harris chose Newsom as her running mate, they would lose all 54 of California’s Electoral College votes.
- Josh Shapiro: Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, is a rising star in the Democratic Party establishment.
- His shares soared after achieving victory in the state’s 2022 gubernatorial election, defeating Republican rival Doug Mastriano.
- Shapiro’s margin of victory was greater than Joe Biden’s when he defeated Donald Trump in 2020.
- Pennsylvania is one of the swing states that Trump is trying to win.
- Trump allies said NBC News that they think Shapiro would be a super strong running mate for Harris.
- Marco Kelly: Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, 60, is also named as a front-runner.
- He has significant military experience, having been a Navy combat pilot and a former astronaut.
- Harris’ allies believe he could help win over working-class voters and also keep Arizona.
- Arizona is one of the Sun Belt states the Trump campaign is targeting.
Walz was scheduled to appear at a Harris campaign event in New Hampshire on Sunday, but he also canceled those plans on short notice.
A spokesperson for the governor said he would instead travel to Washington to speak with Harrisby CBS News.
ARIZONA SENATOR MARK KELLY
Kelly, a former Navy pilot and astronaut, represents a state less than 370 miles away from the border with Mexico — a quality that analysts believe could help Harris assuage complaints that she is weak on immigration policy, according to Arkansas online.
Like Shapiro and Walz, WAPO also reported that Kelly abruptly changed her plans this weekend.
Some labor groups criticized the senator for opposing proposed legislation that could boost union organizing, and the senator lost the support of the largest U.S. labor group — the United Auto Workers Union.
The former astronaut is married to former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt and has worked with his wife ever since to tighten limitations on gun ownership, according to The Guardian.
Although Harris has promised to announce her running mate by Tuesday at the latest, the name could be revealed as early as tomorrow, per Reuters.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
