Who will make the cut?
Vice President Kamala Harris is close to finalizing her choice for a running mate and plans to conduct in-person meetings with some leading candidates within the next 72 hours, according to an informed source. Harris is expected to be in Washington, D.C., on Friday and over the weekend, with no public events scheduled.
Several candidates from the shortlist have adjusted or canceled their plans in the coming days, indicating they are preparing for in-person interviews. For instance, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has canceled his planned fundraisers in the Hamptons this weekend, as confirmed by his press secretary Manuel Bonder.
The formal vetting process, conducted by a law firm, has been completed. The final in-person meetings with Harris are among the last steps before she makes her selection. Eric Holder, former Attorney General under President Barack Obama, led the vetting process in his role as senior counsel at Covington and Burling LLP.
According to NBC News, the candidates under consideration include Shapiro, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. It is not confirmed if all these candidates will have final interviews with Harris this weekend.
Harris is expected to announce her running mate by Tuesday, when she and her chosen partner will embark on a tour of battleground states, starting in Philadelphia. The tour will also include stops in western Wisconsin, Detroit, Raleigh, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Savannah, Georgia. A source emphasized that the choice of Philadelphia for the announcement was not specifically linked to Shapiro.
