Kamala Harris focuses on three potential running mate candidates

Picking a vice presidential candidate will cement the Democratic standard-bearers to take on Republican nominee Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance in the November election. Harris’ sidekick can serve as a force multiplier who can campaign and raise money on her behalf, while ideally complimenting her strengths and covering any vulnerabilities.

Most on Harris’ list are White, male politicians with centrist leanings who could help Harris appeal to swing-state voters, as well as business leaders and donors. They have a track record of attacking Trump and his firebrand style of politics. Walz has gained momentum with progressives, enough to vault himself into consideration, according to people familiar with the matter.

Allies of Harris say chemistry between the vice president and whoever she picks is just as important as their political attributes. Harris knows firsthand the pressures of being No. 2 on the Democratic ticket and is weighing her experience as she makes a selection, according to her supporters.

Harris’ ascension to become the likely Democratic nominee, after President Joe Biden’s stunning exit from the race, has accelerated what is typically a months-long vetting process of potential running mates. The pick will take place amid a furious effort by Harris to shape the Biden campaign operation in her image, define herself to voters and expand her war chest — all with roughly 100 days until Election Day.

Democrats cautioned that the search must still be thorough in order to catch any red-flags. Those warnings took on new urgency as old clips emerged of Vance making disparaging comments about childless women, which have come under widespread criticism.

“As the Trump team is finding out, it’s not just the legal vetting that the team has to do, but it also has to go through tweets, speeches and clips,” said Democratic strategist Karen Finney. “You want a thorough vet, and you want to go through a substantial volume of background info to give you a picture of the person.”

Former Attorney General Eric Holder is leading the vetting process. Holder’s law firm, Covington & Burling LLP, has 12 to 15 files on candidates, according to one person familiar with the process, showing Harris initially cast a wide net.

Shapiro is a popular governor of arguably the most important swing state, and a skilled orator who has performed strongly in rural areas, a weakness for Democrats. Walz, a former teacher and Army National Guard member, could dash Trump’s hopes of making Minnesota competitive and mirror Vance’s Midwestern appeal.

Kelly’s state doubles as a battleground and border area and he has broken with Biden on immigration issues. His wife, Gabrielle Giffords, is a former congresswoman who became a gun-control activist after surviving an assassination attempt in 2011.

Harris is also looking at the Biden Cabinet for options. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are being vetted, the people said.

A Harris campaign official said she is evaluating potential picks based on shared political values, including on the economy and democracy, and their ability to act as a governing partner and lead the country, if necessary.

The switch from Biden to Harris has energized Democrats, who have gathered tens of thousands on organizing calls and given millions of dollars in donations since the president dropped out. The challenge for Harris is to sustain that momentum for their pick.

Harris’ surrogates are fanning out to battlegrounds, including some possible running mates. This weekend, Shapiro and Walz are campaigning in their home states. Buttigieg is embarking on a tour of three ports that will take him to battlegrounds Michigan and Wisconsin.

Those said to be under consideration by Harris have publicly said little about the selection process — though few have denied having interest in the job.

Reporters at a Monday event on environmental grants peppered Shapiro with questions on about whether he would be picked, prompting him to respond, “are we not talking about concrete anymore?”

Kelly told reporters Thursday outside the US Capitol that the selection process is not about him, “but I’ve always, always when I’ve had the chance to serve, I think that’s very important to do.”

Democrats in Washington are playing a parlor game about whom they think would be best at Harris’ side.

“I know the conventional wisdom is that she needs to pick a White man. I don’t disagree that having that kind of gender balance is good, but if you wanted to swing for the fences, you could do a Harris-Whitmer ticket that would excite a lot of people,” said former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said, referring to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who has said she wouldn’t accept if asked.

Daschle added that Kelly and Shapiro would also “provide a fantastic contrast” with Vance.

By late in the week, the halls of Congress were buzzing with excitement over who Harris would select. Senator Laphonza Butler, a close Harris ally, called Kelly smart and said he got into public service “for all the right reasons.”

Harris’ choice, she said, “is going to come down to what is her relationship, what kind of familiarity and loyalty she feels with whoever she picks.”