US Vice Presidential possible candidates Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shaprio, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Photo: AFP
US Vice President Kamala Harris plans to meet in person this weekend with the top contenders vying to become her presidential running mate for November's election as she nears a final decision on her pick, according to two sources familiar with the process.
On Friday the Democratic candidate met one-on-one with US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, one of the leading contenders, and the meeting lasted roughly 90 minutes, according to two other sources familiar with the meeting.
Harris was expected to make her choice by Monday (Tuesday NZ time) ahead of her first public appearance with the new vice presidential nominee on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ time) in Philadelphia. The Harris campaign was also planning a social media announcement featuring the duo, officials familiar with the planning told Reuters.
Other contenders include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, US Senator Mark Kelly, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, the sources said.
The choice of a running mate was one of the most consequential decisions of Harris' political career, as she hastily pulls together a campaign to challenge Donald Trump in the 5 November election after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month. Her shortlist of candidates included all white men with a track record of winning over rural, white or independent voters.
US Vice President Kamala Harris. Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images / AFP
Harris' decision also influences the future direction of the Democratic party, elevating the chosen candidate to the front of the line for future presidential contests.
Some candidates on the shortlist have already rescheduled or delayed plans over the next few days, indicating they needed to clear some time for a face-to-face interview.
Shapiro, for example, cancelled planned fundraisers in the Hamptons this weekend aimed at raising money for his PAC, or political action committee. "His schedule has changed and he is no longer travelling to the Hamptons this weekend," his press secretary Manuel Bonder said.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder and the law firm Covington & Burling were hired by the Harris campaign to investigate potential vice-presidential candidates.
They have completed their work and turned over their findings, a source told Reuters.
Harris and her new running mate were expected to embark on a four-day tour of battleground states on Tuesday that will take them to six other locations including western Wisconsin, Detroit and Las Vegas. The first stop, Philadelphia, has fuelled speculation that Shapiro was a frontrunner, but the campaign has warned against reading too much into the choice.
Typically, campaigns begin thinking about their vice-presidential pick after the primary race ends in the spring, giving them months to vet candidates and make a decision based on polling data, personality and other factors, but Harris has been forced to make the choice on a compressed timeline.
- Reuters
