US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Washington: Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her pick for vice presidential running mate by Tuesday after conducting weekend interviews with contenders at her Washington home, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Speculation has focused on six men - four governors, a senator and a cabinet secretary in the Biden administration.
Harris' decision could be announced any time before her scheduled first public appearance with the candidate on Tuesday evening at Temple University in Philadelphia at the start of a tour across several battleground states likely to decide the election, the sources said.
Harris closed out her search by interviewing three top candidates - U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz - at her Naval Observatory residence on Sunday, the sources said.
Kelly caused a stir on Sunday night when he posted on X "Now, my mission is serving Arizonans," which was interpreted as a sign he was no longer in the running. He deleted the post and replaced it with "I've learned that when your country asks you to serve, you always answer the call."
The senator's spokesman tried to quell speculation around the post, saying, "An Arizona senator tweeting about being an Arizona senator is not news!"
The candidates will be informed on Monday night or Tuesday morning whether they were picked, the sources added. The Harris campaign plans a social media announcement featuring the duo, campaign officials familiar with the arrangements told Reuters.
The vice president met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for 90 minutes on Friday and was also meeting candidates virtually, the sources said. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker are the other candidates in contention for the job.
Harris' search for a running mate began in earnest two weeks ago, shortly after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed her to replace him.
There was no immediate indication that Monday's market selloff would have an impact on Harris' announcement timing.
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 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.
Harris' shortlist includes all white men with a record of winning over rural, white or independent voters.
Over the weekend, Harris met with her vetting team, including former attorney general Eric Holder, whose law firm Covington & Burling LLP scrutinized the finances and background of potential running mates. Holder and his office made in-depth presentations on each of the finalists, according to multiple sources familiar with the process.
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.
Seven cities Five days
On her battleground states tour, Harris and her running mate will hit seven cities in five days: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada, said a campaign official, who did not wish to be named.
They will hold rallies in each location along the tour, which will include college campuses, historically Black universities, union halls and restaurants, the official said.
Over the weekend, the Harris campaign launched a program to persuade Republican voters to support the Democrat and showcased endorsements from Republicans including former Trump White House officials Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye.
The program - called Republicans for Harris - will hold kickoff events in the battleground states of Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania on Monday.
On Monday, Harris notched another union endorsement with the hospitality workers union praising her as having a longstanding record of delivering for union workers.