Election Live Updates: Trump and Vance Rally in Battleground Georgia, as Harris Mulls V.P. Choice
New York TimesJUL 26 2024
Kamala Harris Interviews Top Running Mate Contenders
Above: US Vice Pres. Kamala Harris during her campaign rally at the Georgia State Convocation Center on July 30, 2024 in Atlanta. Image copyright: Julia Beverly/Contributor/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
The Facts
Vice Pres. Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, interviewed at least three top contenders to be her running mate — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly — at her residence in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
According to the Associated Press, sources familiar with the Harris campaign said that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were also interviewed over the weekend.
Presidential candidates usually take months to select a running mate, but Harris has only until the party's national convention, from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22, to choose a vice presidential candidate.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
There have been several promising contenders on the shortlist for VP candidate, with Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro and Minnesota's Tim Walz now considered the frontrunners, but Harris will ensure that whoever is picked will be an effective leader who can help push for victory against Donald Trump and his dangerous agenda.
Republican narrative
Shapiro faces the opposition of anti-Israel left-wing voters, and Walz was disastrous in handling the pandemic and 2020 riots. Yes, either can help Harris win their respective home battleground state — but that's all. But whomever Harris picks doesn't matter; she will lose the election regardless.