On Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris will interview three top contenders for her vice presidential running mate at her Washington, DC, residence. These are Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Arizona US Senator Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Harris is expected to make a decision on Monday and reveal the identity of her chosen candidate in a Philadelphia social media post scheduled for Tuesday, according to Reuters.
The vetting team including former Attorney General Eric Holder met with Harris on Saturday and provided comprehensive presentations about each of the finalists from his law firm. She also had a meeting that lasted 90 minutes with transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday and has been having virtual meetings with other candidates like Kentucky governor Andy Beshear or Illinois governor J B Pritzker.
Having already pulled out from the upcoming election last month, Joe Biden’s withdrawal thrusts Harris into an immediate campaign against Donald Trump who is fast assembling his campaign. Her list consists entirely of white men who are known to attract rural areas’ white or independent voters, hence her choice will affect the future course of Democratic Party.
One leading contender for governorship is Shapiro who has faced criticism from progressives and pro-Palestinian activists because they believe his support for Israel and handling college protests related to Gaza war as well as it would be better not choosing him if making progress regarding Gaza policy and pro-working class agenda were very important.
In addition, he mishandled an allegation of sexual harassment made against one of his senior staff members and backs voucher programs that siphon public funds to private schools (including unionized teachers), the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor organization among others have complained.
According to labor groups such as UAW (United Auto Workers Union), Kelly does not support proposed legislation that they believe would strengthen union organizing despite their endorsement of Harris for President. They have said they do not back either Kelly or Shapiro as suitable running mates though.
At sixty years old, Governor Walz has garnered a huge following among progressives and youth movements who love his criticisms of Trump. However, critics contend he looks much older than Harris, which may be detrimental for a campaign trying to overcome the shadow of Biden’s age. In one episode of X, Walz responded to this criticism by saying that it results from teaching high school and being lunchroom supervisor for 20 years.
