Presumptive Democratic candidate Kamala Harris meets the main contenders for the vice presidency on Sunday, and among them are Governor Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.
Both governors are traveling to Washington for a meeting with Harris, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans. The Washington Post was first to report the interviews with Harris’ top running mate.
However, Harris is also having formal interviews with candidates who have not been confirmed in the media, both in person and virtually, according to a source familiar with the process. Harris herself had a virtual meeting with Mr. Biden as he was interviewing vice presidential candidates. While that interview took place during the pandemic, other candidates had in-person interviews with him at that time.
Shapiro is one of the most popular governors in the country and has a 60% approval rateaccording to a recent Quinnipiac poll. He has been elected to state office three times — twice as state attorney general and once as governor. As Pennsylvania’s top law enforcement official, he oversaw the investigation into widespread sexual abuse by hundreds of priests and a cover-up that has been going on for decades by the Catholic Church.
Walz, a former congressman, is in his second term as governor and also enjoys strong approval ratings. With Democrats controlling both houses of the state legislature during his second term, Walz has implemented a number of progressive priorities, including protecting access to abortion and gender-affirming health care, legalizing recreational marijuana, restricting access to firearms, providing free school meals to all children and expanding paid family leave.
Kelly, a junior senator from Arizona, is a political centrist and former astronaut who is married to former Rep. Gabby Giffords, a talented politician who was seriously injured and disabled in an assassination attempt in 2011. Kelly and Giffords have become prominent gun safety advocates and founded a gun control organization in her name. Kelly also served in the Navy as a fighter pilot and was a decorated combat veteran before embarking on a career as an astronaut.
The Associated Press reported that Harris was also interviewing Governors Andy Beshear of Kentucky and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, citing two people familiar with Harris’ selection process.
President Biden said Friday that he had spoken with Harris about his running mate, but when asked about the qualities she should look for in a candidate, he said, “I’ll let her figure that out.”
Harris is expected to nominate her running mate by Tuesday. She and her running mate will campaign together in key states this week.
Harris has received a majority pledged and automatic delegates in the electronic roll call to secure the Democratic nomination, but voting remains open until Monday.
Melissa Quinn, Nidia Cavazos and Caitlin Yilek contributed to this report.
Weijia Jiang
