Vice President Kamala Harris is in the final stages of selecting her running mate, with plans to interview six contenders over the weekend. Among the finalists are Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, all of whom have been vetted by the campaign. Harris, who officially became the Democratic presidential nominee on Friday, is scheduled to remain in Washington while conducting the interviews.
A decision on Harris’ vice presidential nominee is expected no later than Tuesday, when Harris will hold a campaign rally in Philadelphia with her pick to kick off a multi-state battleground blitz. There has been speculation that the selection may be Josh Shapiro, as Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes are crucial to Harris’ victory. However, the Harris campaign has cautioned against drawing any connections based on this speculation.
Harris has been experiencing momentum in her campaign, energizing Democrats and raising a significant amount of campaign funds. The campaign announced that it raised $310 million in July, including $200 million in the first week of Harris’ candidacy after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid. The campaign has $377 million in the bank, surpassing the Trump campaign’s $327 million cash on hand. Harris has been focusing on improving Biden’s polling numbers and has been successful in bringing in campaign cash.
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