
Vice President Kamala Harris
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has narrowed her search for a vice presidential running mate to two finalists, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, three sources with knowledge of the matter said on Monday.
Harris, the U.S. vice president, is expected to announce her selection by Tuesday, ahead of her first scheduled public appearance with her running mate that evening at Temple University in Philadelphia.
It was unclear if a final decision has been made, the sources said. The rally will kick off a five-day, seven-city tour of battleground states likely to decide the Nov. 5 election.
The choice of a running mate is one of the most consequential decisions of Harris’ political career, as she hastily pulls together a campaign to challenge Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and U.S. Senator JD Vance, his vice presidential pick, in the Nov. 5 election. Vance will also make a campaign stop in South Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Shapiro, 51, is a rising star of the party with strong approval ratings in Pennsylvania, whose 19 electoral votes makes it a must-win state for both Harris and Trump.
A former state attorney general, Shapiro would add to the ticket’s historical significance; he would be the country’s first Jewish vice president, while Harris is seeking to become the first Black and South Asian American woman elected U.S. president.
Walz, 60, is a former U.S. Army National Guard member and a former teacher who has raised his profile in recent weeks as an effective advocate for Harris. He has attacked Trump and Vance as “weird,” a viral insult the Harris campaign has embraced.
A former member of Congress from a Republican-leaning district, Walz has proven appeal to rural, white voters, though he has also championed progressive policies as governor, such as free school meals and expanded paid worker leave. While Minnesota is a solidly Democratic state, it is close to Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial battlegrounds.
Speculation had focused on six finalists – four governors, a senator and a cabinet secretary in the Biden administration, all white men with a record of winning over rural, white or independent voters. In addition to Shapiro and Walz, contenders included U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
The candidates will be informed on Monday night or Tuesday morning whether they were picked, sources told Reuters. The Harris campaign plans a social media announcement featuring the duo, campaign officials familiar with the plan say.
Harris is weighing the decision with her husband, Doug Emhoff, brother-in-law Tony West and a small circle of aides and advisers, the sources said.
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