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Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic candidate in the 2024 presidential election, is believed to have hinted at favoring Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her potential running mate by holding a rally in Philadelphia next week, according to Politico.
The Harris campaign confirmed that the vice president and her yet to be revealed running mate would hit several key battleground states next week and the decision to launch the tour in Pennsylvania's biggest city led to speculation of Shapiro being favored. Harris' decision reportedly hasn't been finalized as she told reporters "not yet" when asked if she had selected a running mate.
The vice president is reportedly planning to interview potential candidates in the coming days, a source with knowledge of the vetting process told Politco on the condition of anonymity. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly has been mentioned as a favorite with Shapiro in multiple reports while Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are also reported to be in consideration.
Harris' decision on a running mate could come within a week as she intends to do so before August 7, two sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to CNN. The vice president has already crossed the threshold of the 1,976 pledged delegates needed to win the nomination on the first ballot and raised $49.6 million in grassroots donations within one day of officially announcing her presidential campaign on July 21.
Harris, 59, has no credible challenger for the Democratic nomination and the endorsement of several top officials within the party including President Joe Biden, who said he wanted to "offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year" in a post shared on his social media accounts.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement obtained by Variety. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
Biden announced his decision to end his campaign in a letter to Americans shared on his social media accounts Sunday afternoon. The president's decision came amid reports of uncertainty regarding his re-election campaign following a disastrous performance in the first presidential debate against Trump, 78, last month.