Vice President Kamala Harris is at a pivotal crossroads in her extensive political career – selecting a running mate to accompany her on the Democratic Party’s national ticket.
An announcement regarding her choice is anticipated within the next few hours – just before the first rally featuring Harris and her running mate on Tuesday evening in Philadelphia.
This represents a crucial juncture in the significant phase for Harris over the past two weeks since she took over as the frontrunner for the Democrats’ 2024 ticket.
The process of vetting, screening, and interviewing potential running mates typically spans several months. However, given the current extraordinary circumstances for the Democrats, Harris is working under an exceptionally tight deadline.
TRUMP RUNNING MATE JD VANCE TO FOLLOW HARRIS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL THIS WEEK
Vice President Kamala Harris interacts with the audience at a campaign rally, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Harris remained in Washington, D.C. over the weekend, conducting in-person discussions with Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Tim Walz of Minnesota, and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona – three among the approximately half-dozen candidates being considered for the running mate, as confirmed by Democratic sources to Fox News.
Other contenders reportedly include Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and JB Pritzker of Illinois, along with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Prior to her meetings with the potential candidates, Harris received a briefing from a vetting team led by former Attorney General Eric Holder.
HARRIS OUTPACES TRUMP IN FUNDRAISING DUE TO RECENT BOOST
The specifics of the announcement rollout remain unclear, but it is likely to be delivered via a video, reminiscent of how Biden introduced Harris as his running mate four years ago. Nonetheless, the Harris campaign’s strategies could be affected by a media leak of the announcement on Monday or Tuesday.
Harris has enjoyed a relatively smooth trajectory following Biden’s significant announcement, despite increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to end his re-election campaign after a disappointing debate performance against former President Trump in late June.
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech at a campaign rally, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
The party, eager to prevent Trump – the GOP presidential nominee – from making a resurgence, quickly rallied behind Harris. In July, the vice president saw a notable increase in donations, surpassing Trump’s fundraising efforts, as volunteers flocked to the campaign offices that transitioned from Biden to Harris.
Moreover, the slim advantage Trump had over Biden following the late June debate has evaporated, as recent national and critical battleground state polls suggest a neck-and-neck race between Harris and the former president.
Nevertheless, challenges remain on the horizon.
While Harris and her advisers have kept their plans for selecting a vice presidential nominee mostly under wraps, advocates for the contenders have been publicly voicing their support, and various interest groups within the party have begun to express their preferences.
2024 AD WARS: TRUMP, HARRIS RACE TO DEFINE VICE PRESIDENT
The upcoming announcement from Harris is likely to leave some supporters of other candidates feeling disappointed, potentially heightening existing policy rifts between the moderate and progressive factions of the party that have been somewhat concealed over the past few weeks.
On Tuesday, Harris and her yet-to-be-named running mate will join forces at a rally in Philadelphia to commence an extensive and dynamic tour through swing states, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada – the seven crucial battlegrounds that could heavily influence the presidential election’s outcome.
Harris attracted over 10,000 attendees to her first significant rally since taking over for Biden at the head of the Democratic ticket, at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta last week.
This event marked the first time this election cycle that the Democratic ticket attracted a crowd comparable to the sizable audiences Trump has regularly drawn during his campaign seeking to reclaim the White House. The size and enthusiasm of crowds at Harris’ upcoming tour will be closely scrutinized.
Trump and his running mate – Sen. JD Vance of Ohio – recently held a rally at the same venue in Atlanta, where the former president continued his barrage of attacks and criticisms against Harris.
In social media posts earlier on Saturday and during the rally, Trump asserted that Harris had a “low IQ” and was “dumb,” additionally accusing her of lacking the necessary “mental capacity.”
Former President Trump delivers a speech at a campaign rally at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
The Harris campaign responded on Sunday morning, asserting that Trump was “weak… struggling… panicking… and that Donald Trump is running scared.”
Harris has yet to participate in a significant interview since taking over for Biden, while the Trump campaign intensifies its criticism.
“Kamala Harris is too afraid to respond to media questions and is unable to lead us during these challenging times,” Vance claimed in a social media post on Monday.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Vance intends to follow Harris as part of the Trump campaign’s strategy to bracket the vice president and her running mate during their initial swing state tour.
Sources within the senator’s political circle confirmed to Fox News that Vance will be present in Philadelphia on Tuesday as the vice president launches her campaign tour.
Sen. JD Vance addresses supporters at a campaign rally at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
This week, Harris will formally secure the party’s presidential nomination as the Democratic National Committee concludes its virtual roll call at 6 p.m. ET. However, there is no suspense involved since Harris is the sole candidate to qualify for this roll call.
The roll call commenced on Thursday, with DNC Chair Jaimie Harrison announcing on Friday that Harris secured the nomination by gaining a majority of votes from the party’s delegates before the convention kicks off in two weeks in Chicago.
While the last couple of weeks have been smoother than anticipated, the Harris campaign understands that there are still three months remaining until the November election.
Dana Kanninen, the director for battleground states, noted that “it is the responsibility of the Harris campaign to transform the unprecedented enthusiasm surrounding the Vice President into tangible action.”
Stay updated with the latest from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
