VP speculation hits a fever pitch with Harris announcement expected very soon

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris interviewed contenders to be her running mate over the weekend, continuing a closely watched deliberation that is set to wrap up with an announcement Monday or Tuesday.

Harris met with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona at the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington on Sunday, according to multiple media

reports. Some reports indicated those three were the finalists for the position, while others said more candidates may have been interviewed virtually.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also have been considered in the running.

Reporters staked out at the vice president’s residence spotted former Attorney General Eric Holder, who is leading the vetting of potential running mates for Harris, entering the complex on Saturday morning.

Harris is scheduled to kick off a seven-state campaign tour with her running mate in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening.

Spokespeople for the Harris campaign did not respond to a message seeking comment Monday morning.

Kelly tweets scrutinized

Kelly’s activity on social media Sunday fueled speculation about his status. He tweeted, then deleted, a post about his background in the U.S. Navy and as a NASA astronaut that ended with “Now, my mission is serving Arizonans.”

Some read the post to reflect that Kelly was no longer a contender for vice president.

He later sent another post with a similar theme about his biography that instead ended with, “I’ve learned that when your country asks you to serve, you always answer the call.”

Jacob Peters, a spokesman for Kelly, tweeted that Kelly’s posts had been overanalyzed.

“An Arizona senator tweeting about being an Arizona senator is not news!” he wrote. “Go back to your Sundays everybody!”

Interviews to probe weaknesses

Jon Green, a political science professor at Duke University in North Carolina, told States Newsroom the weekend interviews were likely to test the contenders’ responses to questions that will arise once they join the ticket.

Each potential pick would bring strengths and weaknesses, and Harris may be questioning how they would handle perceived concerns, he said.

Shapiro, the popular governor of a must-win state, has faced objections from progressive Democratic activists about his positions on school vouchers, which are deeply opposed by the teachers unions that form a part of the Democratic base, and his response to protests over Israel’s war in Gaza, Green said.

“I think Harris will likely be asking him, ‘How are you going to handle — or how are we going to handle, if you’re the pick — the coalitional dynamics there?’” Green said.

Shapiro’s known policy preferences on Israel are not out of line with other contenders, but he made harsher public comments about protesters at the University of Pennsylvania.

Kelly also may have had to answer how he’d handle being seen as “the least pro-labor” of the prospective running mates, Green said.

The Harris campaign may examine if Walz, who has emerged as a favorite of the party’s progressive wing, effectively balances Harris’ liberal profile, Green said.

Walz has spearheaded progressive bills through a closely divided state Legislature.

“That has endeared him to the left wing of the coalition,” Green said. “That might be seen as a potential liability in the general election campaign if the knock on the ticket is that they’re presenting this left-wing agenda, he’s almost too good at passing liberal legislation for the median voter.”

New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com. Follow New Jersey Monitor on Facebook and X.