Vice President Kamala Harris Narrowing Down Running Mate Options Ahead of August 7 Deadline
Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly planning to announce her vice-presidential pick by August 7, with her campaign team conducting initial video interviews as part of the vetting process. The tight timeline comes after the Democratic National Convention, where Harris is set to be formally nominated as the presidential candidate.
The Harris campaign began vetting potential running mates on July 23, aiming to finalize the selection quickly to meet Ohio’s legal ballot-access deadline, which is set for August 7. Ohio law requires political parties to certify their presidential and vice-presidential candidates by that date. Although Ohio lawmakers extended the state’s ballot deadline to September 1, there are concerns about potential legal challenges if Harris’s running mate is announced after August 7.
Among those being seriously considered as potential running mates are Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and governors Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), Roy Cooper (North Carolina), Tim Walz (Minnesota), and Andy Beshear (Kentucky).
While Harris has directed her team to move quickly, some of the initial interviews have already been conducted, although it’s unclear if Harris herself has yet participated in any.
The Harris campaign is looking for a running mate who shares her political values, is ready to step into the presidency if necessary, and can effectively partner in governing. Eric Holder, former U.S. Attorney General and a key figure in Barack Obama’s 2008 vice-presidential vetting process, is overseeing the process for Harris through his law firm, Covington & Burling.
