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.

Who said what

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.

What next?

Harris will announce her pick at or before a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. She and her running mate are then scheduled to visit six other key swing states in five days: Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

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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.