Candidates to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate are facing an accelerated timeline to be vetted and selected.
Various factions are pushing their own candidates, Politico reported. Top contenders to be Harris' running mate on the Democrat ticket include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Sen. Mark Kelly, R-Ariz.
North Carolina's congressional delegation has been pushing Cooper, a two-term Democrat governor in a state that twice voted for Trump, while Pennsylvania's delegation is advocating for Shapiro, who leads a state Harris must win in November, while several Senate Democrats have been pushing for Kelly, Politico said.
The Democratic National Convention will be held in less than a month in Chicago, speeding up the process to pick a running mate.
Other candidates under consideration include Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Allies of the candidates have been contacting the Harris campaign directly to tout their pick, while the candidates have blanketed cable news with attacks on Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance and praise for Harris.
Cooper and Shapiro have dodged numerous questions about whether they want to be Harris' running mate.
"What I am focused on is making sure we don't go back to Donald Trump's chaos, and that we elect Kamala Harris the next president of the United States," Shapiro said this week, according to Politico.
Walz has become a sleeper pick, according to Politico, championed by progressives and the Minnesota congressional delegation. Walz, a veteran and former public high school teacher, was praised by progressives for initiatives like universal free school meals, abortion rights, and paid family leave, Politico reported.
"He would be just a great, great addition to a ticket. You know, he can supervise a lunch room. He was a master sergeant. He was well respected and beloved here in the House. And he's been a fabulous governor," Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn. said to Politico.
Walz mocked Vance for claiming to represent rural America in an appearance on MSNBC.
Vance "know[s] nothing about small-town America … he gets it all wrong," Walz said. "Their policies have divided small-town America, they're in our exam rooms, they're telling us what books to read."
Kelly's Senate colleagues have heaped praise on him, though concerns about holding his seat persist. Arizona Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs would appoint his replacement and the seat would be up for election in 2026 in the purple state.
"I find him to be smart, thoughtful. He and I are both retired Navy captains, and he is an astronaut," Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., told Politico. "Having said that, the state that he represents is a tough state for Democrats to hold. … We have to be very careful, mindful of that."
Environmental groups have praised Cooper for cleaning coal ash waste in the state while labor groups could be wary of Kelly for his prior opposition to the PRO Act, a bill that would make labor law more favorable to organized labor and punish employers who union bust, Politico said. Kelly recently reversed his stance and said he would now support the bill, a spokesman told Politico.
Shapiro has also faced pushback from some in his state for his support of private school vouchers and his support of Israel, progressives told Politico.
Adm. William McRaven issued a statement taking him out of the running. And despite Whitmer saying she wasn't leaving Michigan, she is continuing to be vetted, CBS News reported.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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