Kamala Harris Set to Announce Running Mate
Vice-President Kamala Harris is anticipated to reveal her running mate by Tuesday morning, concluding two weeks of fervent speculation as the United States approaches November’s presidential election.
Over the weekend, Ms. Harris conducted interviews with several leading contenders in Washington DC, including Josh Shapiro, Tim Walz, and Mark Kelly. Her chosen partner will join her for a whirlwind five-day tour across seven cities this week, intensifying her campaign efforts in critical battleground states.
The latest poll from CBS, in partnership with the BBC, indicates a close race nationally between Ms. Harris and Trump, with the Democrat holding a slight one-point lead over her Republican opponent. In battleground states, the poll shows a tie, with Trump previously holding a five-point advantage while Joe Biden was still in the race.
Following Tuesday’s anticipated announcement, a campaign video will be released, and Ms. Harris, along with her new running mate, will hold a rally in Philadelphia that evening. Over the weekend, she met with her vetting team, led by former US Attorney General Eric Holder, who provided detailed presentations on the candidates, highlighting potential political vulnerabilities.
On Sunday, Ms. Harris met with three of the candidates: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. She also met Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday and reportedly spoke with other candidates virtually, according to US media reports.
A campaign spokesperson, Kevin Munoz, responded on Monday afternoon to a report claiming Ms. Harris had made her decision, stating on social media that she was still deliberating. “We understand the excitement and interest here, but VP Harris has made no decision on a running mate yet!” he wrote.
This development follows the Democratic National Convention’s virtual roll call vote, officially nominating Ms. Harris as the first Black and South Asian American candidate for a major US party’s White House bid.
Lobbying efforts have surged around the Harris campaign, both supporting and criticizing the candidates. Mr. Shapiro, for instance, has faced sharp opposition from some left-wing groups due to his backing of private school vouchers in Pennsylvania—a Republican-supported initiative to allocate $100 million for private school tuition and supplies—as well as his pro-Israel stance.
The Philadelphia event will kick off a series of campaign stops across Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona, concluding with a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 10.
Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have downplayed the significance of Ms. Harris’ choice. In a recent “Full Send” podcast episode, Mr. Vance remarked that the vice-presidential pick “doesn’t really matter, as much as this hits my ego.” He explained that voters will primarily choose between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Trump echoed this sentiment, asserting last week that the vice-presidential role “does not have any impact.”
However, on Sunday, Trump criticized Mr. Shapiro on Fox News, suggesting that Ms. Harris could lose “her little Palestinian base” if she selected him. Mr. Shapiro, who had previously written in a college magazine that Palestinians were “too battle minded,” told reporters on Friday that he now supports a two-state solution.
