US Vice President Kamala Harris is set to name her running mate as she embarks on a tour of major battleground states. The pick is her first major decision as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is set to announce her pick as vice presidential running mate at the start of a tour of key swing states on Tuesday.
Most speculation has rested on six finalists — all white men with a track record of securing votes from rural, white, and independent voters.
Who is Harris expected to pick?
The two favorites for the ticket to go head-to-head with Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance are Governors Tim Walz of Minnesota and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.
Shapiro, 51, is a rising star of the party who enjoys strong approval ratings in Pennsylvania, a must-win state that carries 19 electoral votes.
Walz, 60, is a former US Army National Guard member and teacher who has raised his profile recently, attacking Trump and Vance as “weird.” The insult went viral and it has been embraced by the Harris campaign.
The other contenders included Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, US Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Where will the pair be headed?
The Harris rally on Tuesday kicks off a five-day, tour of key swing states — those with both a significant number of electoral college votes and where polls are close — likely to decide the election.
Harris and her vice presidential pick will visit five cities after Philadelphia — Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Detroit,
Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; Phoenix, Arizona; and Nevada’s Las Vegas.
Why is the running mate being named now?
The announcement is being made after Harris formally secured the Democratic presidential nomination late on Monday, making her the first woman of color to lead the ticker of a major party.
The nomination became official after Democratic National Convention delegates ended a five-day round of online balloting on Monday
The party said 99% of delegates casting ballots had done so for Harris. A formal clarification of the vote will take place ahead of a celebratory roll call at the party convention later this month in Chicago.
Harris’ securing of the nomination as the Democratic standard-bearer follows a turbulent and event-packed period for the party that began with resident Joe Biden’s disastrous June debate performance.
After Biden announced his withdrawal, Harris came out of the blocks quickly to secure the backing of party delegates.
