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Kamala Harris spends weekend interviewing VP candidates

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is spending the weekend interview possible choice to be her vice presidential running mate in November, according to multiple reports. File Photo by Ting Shen/UPI
1 of 7 | U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is spending the weekend interview possible choice to be her vice presidential running mate in November, according to multiple reports. File Photo by Ting Shen/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris spent the weekend meeting with the finalists auditioning to become her vice presidential selection, according to multiple reports.

Harris reserved time over the weekend to meet in person with the finalists on her list before making the final decision, the New York Times and Washington Post reported on Friday.

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The Washington law firm conducting the vetting process for Harris, Covington & Burling, wrapped up its work on Thursday and turned over its findings to Harris, the Times said, citing two people briefed on the process.

The Post, similarly citing unnamed campaign sources, reported Harris had narrowed her search to six finalists -- Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz of Minnesota, as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

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Harris on Friday officially secured the nomination of Democratic Party by garnering a sufficient number of delegates during online voting that began Thursday, according to multiple reports citing comments made by Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison during a phone call with Harris supporters.

The vote cemented Harris' unprecedented rise from four up-and-down years as vice president to the near-unanimous pick to replace President Joe Biden atop the Democratic presidential ticket -- all in less than two weeks.

"Today, my friends, is special, because we can proudly say we will have the first woman of color at the top of a major party ticket," Harrison said, while Harris herself joined the call and added, "I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States.

"I would not be on this call right now and with you all were it not for your support and your trust, for which I am deeply grateful," she said.

Harris is expected to announce her choice for vice president by Tuesday, when the candidate and her newly minted running mate are scheduled to hold their first rally together in Philadelphia, the largest city in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, according to campaign sources cited by Politico.

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The team will then proceed to stops in western Wisconsin, Detroit, Raleigh, N.C., Savannah, S.C., Phoenix and Las Vegas.

The six likely finalists each brings possible strengths and weakness to the Democratic ticket. Here's a more detailed look at each.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

The conventional wisdom that a vice presidential nominee could help a ticket win his or her home state would be out the window should Harris pick Beshear -- Donald Trump cruised to a 26-point victory in Kentucky four years ago and it remains highly unlikely the state will turn blue anytime soon. But the governor's status as a well-liked Democratic winner in an overwhelmingly Republican southern state could be a powerful incentive to add him to the ticket.

His proven ability to attract moderate or even conservative voters in rural and suburban areas who may not normally opt for Democrats, as well as his record of expanding health care services and fighting for voting rights, have endeared the "amiable attack dog" to some Democrats. He has joined union picket lines, taking the side of striking workers despite backlash from corporate interests.

But his record on abortion rights -- sure to be one of Harris' top issues -- is "good but not great," according to some women's health advocates.

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"Yes, he's doing better than a conservative would, and I'm thankful for that," Savannah Trebuna of the Kentucky Health Justice Network told NBC News last week. "But I worry about how that record will look on a national stage."

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker

Like Beshear, Pritzker's home state of Illinois is not considered in play for 2024 -- it is one of the most reliably Democratic states in the nation. And yet, he could bring considerable strength to the ticket due to his potential for becoming a powerful force in pushing back against attacks from Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.

His profile is higher than the other Midwestern Democratic governors under consideration, both because Illinois and Chicago occupy a loftier position in the nation's consciousness and because he is skilled at the art of launching attacks at political opponents -- as befits the state's tradition of bare knuckle politics.

Pritzker, a scion of the billionaire Chicago family that made its fortune with the Hyatt hotel chain, is also well connected within the national Democratic Party. His sister, Penny Pritzker, was secretary of Commerce in the Obama administration. His bona fides as a political winner include emerging from a crowded primary field to defeat a Republican incumbent, Gov. Bruce Rauner, in 2018.

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Some analysts believe Pritzker could also be effective in attracting the votes of the "never-Trumpers" in the Republican Party.

On the downside, he may not be resonating with many Democratic voters. A poll of swing-state voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin conducted by Emerson College and The Hill last month showed Pritzker with the least support of any likely Harris VP pick in all the states but Wisconsin.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Hailing from perhaps the most important of all the swing states, Shapiro has a natural advantage in the Harris veepstakes -- it's a state she must win en route to the White House, making him one of the early front-runners for the job.

His defeat of controversial Republican opponent Doug Mastriano two years ago earned him a significant amount positive name recognition among voters both in Pennsylvania and across the northeastern United States, which could prove helpful for Harris in attempting to lock down a crucial victory in the key state.

In fact, Republicans in Pennsylvania and elsewhere around the country told NBC News shortly after his name emerged as a possible running mate he's the pick they fear most.

"I just think Shapiro is super strong," one former Trump ally told the broadcaster last week. "And Republicans should be concerned about it. If I were her, that would be the pick." His main asset? "He's actually pretty moderate," the source said, adding that as an observant Jew, Shapiro could appeal to faith-based voters on both the right and left of the political spectrum.

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Shapiro has pulled in some Republican voters in all three of his previous statewide campaigns, but progressives have some serious issues with him, including his "hardline" stance backing Israel's campaign in Gaza, which could dampen young voters' newfound enthusiasm for Harris if selected.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

Perhaps the least-known of the six vice presidential finalists, Gov. Tim Walz has carved out a solid progressive record in a Midwestern state that is known as a longtime Democratic stronghold but in recent years has trended more purple.

Two other Minnesotans have been elected vice president on Democratic tickets -- Hubert Humphrey in 1964 and Walter Mondale in 1976. And despite his relative obscurity as a small-state governor, Walz could be a dark-horse pick to emerge with the prize after this weekend.

He's most in sync with Harris on what is possibly her signature issue: abortion and women's reproductive rights. As governor, Walz held Minnesota up as a stout supporter of pro-choice policies even as neighboring states such as Iowa were enacting some of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the nation. In January 2023, he signed Minnesota's Protect Reproductive Options Act into law, affirming the "fundamental right" of women to obtain an abortion.

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Walz also has garnered significant attention with his ability to skewer opponents with humor, such as an appearance on MSNBC last month in which he said of Trump, Vance and their policies: "These guys are weird."

But whether as an unknown he can be introduced and grow on voters nationwide in the short time allotted for the task is a pertinent question that could weigh against his chances.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

The 42-year-old Pete Buttigieg checks off a lot of boxes for the Democrats -- he's a Millennial, a Midwesterner, a former Indiana mayor, an Ivy Leaguer, a Naval officer who deployed to Afghanistan, and a gay man who lives in swing-state Michigan.

"Mayor Pete" is already close with Harris and has established a strong pro-consumer record as Transportation secretary, regularly clashing with airlines over their treatment of the flying public on such topics as junk fees to compensating passengers for delays and cancellations.

He is also arguably the most well-known among the Democratic vice presidential candidates and has emerged as a top spokesman for the party, including holding his own during unfriendly interviews and showing a willingness to engage with conservative audiences in moments that frequently go viral online, Democratic strategists told The Hill last week.

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But despite his steadily rising visibility, he is still considered a long shot for Harris' vice presidential nod, even by some of his own staffers. That could be because a Harris-Buttigieg ticket would consist only of Biden administration veterans, thus precluding an infusion of new blood.

Or it could be that Buttigieg would, if chosen, become the first openly gay candidate on a national ticket that is already featuring the first woman of color vying for president. Would that be too much for swing voters?

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona

Kelly, 60, was one of the early favorites in the Harris veepstakes and remains a likely choice for several reasons.

Some of the more obvious ones include his all-American background as former NASA astronaut and Navy captain. He is married to former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, and is a well-liked Democrat from a crucial, increasingly purple state that helped decide the 2020 election. Kelly also boasts a track record of appealing to independents.

The fact that he's gained traction on Trump's signature issue of immigration while representing a border state could also be a big plus in his favor. During his short time in the Senate, he hasn't authored any major immigration legislation but gained points among Democrats for vocally backing Biden's bipartisan border deal, which failed in February after Trump urged Republican lawmakers to reject it.

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Among Kelly's chief liabilities is his uneasy standing with the key Democratic constituency of organized labor. Union officials told ABC News last month they have doubts about Kelly due to his earlier unwillingness to co-sponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would ease requirements to organize workers.

Kelly last week softened his stance, telling the Huffington Post he would now back the PRO Act.

Vice President Kamala Harris commemorates Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala.

Vice President Kamala Harris (C) joins hands with community and civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton (L) as they cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala., on March 3, 2024. Photo by Christian Monterrosa/UPI | License Photo

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