Kamala Harris interviewing potential running mates ahead of formal announcement
Vice President Kamala Harris is interviewing a half-dozen potential running mates this weekend ahead of a formal announcement and a battleground tour with her new No. 2 next week.
Her interview list includes Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz of Minnesota, as well as Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, two people with knowledge of Harris’ selection process told the Associated Press.
The people were granted anonymity to discuss private campaign deliberations.
Shapiro and Kelly had been viewed as among the front-runners during her truncated selection process, which began with the vetting of about a dozen names.
Some have publicly withdrawn from consideration, including North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who is close with Harris from their shared time as state attorneys general but expressed concern about regularly traveling out of the state if he were to be on the national Democratic ticket.
Her deadline for picking a running mate is effectively Tuesday, when Harris will launch a tour of seven key battleground states, starting in Philadelphia.
President Joe Biden told reporters Friday that he has spoken to Harris about her search for a vice presidential candidate, but when asked whether he had advice for the qualities she should look for in a running mate, the president publicly demurred.
“I’ll let her work that out,” Biden said.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Donald Trump has agreed to an offer from Fox News to hold a debate with Kamala Harris on September 4.
His announcement came a week after Harris said she was “ready” to go head-to-head with the former president on stage.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the debate will be held in Pennsylvania, at a site yet to be determined.
"If for any reason Kamala is unwilling or unable to debate on that date, I have agreed with Fox to do a major Town Hall on the same 4 September evening," he added.
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