Kamala Harris meets with VP finalists as decision looms

Vice President Kamala Harris talks on the phone outside Air Force One

All the finalists are "white men with a record of winning over rural, white or independent voters," Reuters said

(Image credit: Mark Felix / AFP via Getty Images)

published 5 August 2024

What happened

Vice President Kamala Harris met Sunday with three of the finalists to be her running mate against Republicans Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (Ohio). Harris hosted Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at her official residence in Washington, D.C. She met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday and is holding virtual interviews with other potential vice-presidential candidates, Reuters said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker are also contenders.

All six finalists have undergone an expedited vetting, but Harris allies said the in-person interviews were "particularly important to the process as the vice president is prioritizing personal chemistry" as well as "looking for a governing partner," The Washington Post said.

The race to nudge Harris on her running mate has become the "competitive, divisive primary that many Democrats long wanted to avoid," The New York Times said, with donors and interest groups pushing for their preferred candidate. Moderates favor Shapiro and Kelly and progressives back Walz, with Beshear an "apparent compromise candidate." All the finalists are "white men with a record of winning over rural, white or independent voters," Reuters said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

To continue reading this article...

Create a free account

Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.

Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.

Cancel or pause at any time.

Already a subscriber to The Week?

Unlimited website access is included with Digital and Print + Digital subscriptions.
with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.

Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.