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Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 2024, considered several prominent individuals before selecting Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate on August 6.[1] Harris and Walz were certified as the official nominees that evening by Democratic National Committee secretary Jason Rae.[2] Walz was the first sitting governor selected as the Democratic vice presidential nominee since Charles W. Bryan of Nebraska in 1924[3] and if elected, would have been the third vice president from Minnesota after Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale.[4] Walz is also the first sitting governor to appear on the Democratic ticket since Bill Clinton in 1992. After formally accepting their nomination during the 2024 Democratic National Convention,[5] the Harris–Walz ticket went on to lose to the Trump–Vance ticket in the general election, and Walz returned to the governorship following the campaign.
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During Joe Biden's re-election campaign, Kamala Harris was presumed the Democratic Party nominee for a second term as Vice President of the United States. Biden competed in the Democratic presidential primaries facing candidates such as Minnesota US Representative Dean Phillips, and businessman Jason Palmer.[6][7] Biden became the presumptive nominee on March 12. However, amidst concerns about his age and ability to serve as president, Biden withdrew from the election on July 21, and endorsed Harris to replace him as the presidential nominee.[8] Harris launched her own presidential campaign that same day and became the presumptive nominee the following day.
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Harris secured enough delegate support to become the presumptive nominee on July 22.[9] Her campaign's vetting process for potential running mates was conducted by Eric Holder, the former U.S. Attorney General under President Barack Obama, along with his law firm Covington & Burling,[10] as well as Dana Remus, formerly President Biden's White House counsel.[11]
Harris was the only qualified candidate, with a virtual roll call vote taking place from August 1 until August 5.[12] On August 2, The New York Times reported that former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Elizabeth M. Allen would lead Harris's running mate team and begin serving as their chief of staff the following day.[13] The Harris campaign conducted polling and focus groups on the candidates and found that all three finalists could help her win.[14]
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Politico reported on July 30 that Harris planned to hold a rally with her running mate choice in Philadelphia on August 6, raising speculation that the pick was Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro; however, a campaign aide for Harris cautioned against causing speculation behind Philadelphia being chosen as the venue for the rally.[15] The New York Times reported that Harris was expected to make an announcement on her running mate choice hours before the Philadelphia rally.[16] On the morning of August 6, awaiting Harris's decision, the United States Secret Service said it was ready to swiftly provide security to whomever the running mate was.[17] Later on August 6, Harris chose Walz.[17]
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An official reported to ABC News on July 23 that Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Shapiro were the leading candidates,[18] while another source told Talking Points Memo the following day that North Carolina governor Roy Cooper was an additional top choice.[19] On July 23, the Financial Times reported that Cooper, Kelly, and Shapiro had become the frontrunners, with donors preferring Cooper or Shapiro and "Hollywood Democrats" backing Kelly.[20]
On July 24, The New York Times reported that Walz was also "under serious consideration".[21] On July 26, The Washington Post reported that Cooper, Kelly and Shapiro were at the top of Harris's shortlist according to people close to the campaign.[22] MSNBC also reported that the three frontrunners were reportedly at the top of a shortening list.[23] Bloomberg News, however, reported on July 27 that Kelly, Shapiro, and Walz were the three finalists.[24] On July 28, USA Today reported Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear as "one of the most prominent potential running mates" being vetted by the Harris campaign.[25]
On July 29, The New York Times reported Cooper had voluntarily withdrawn his name from consideration.[26] The same day, Beshear, Kelly, Shapiro, and Walz were reported to be on Harris's shortlist by various media outlets,[27][28][29] along with CNBC reporting that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was on the shortlist as Harris's running mate.[30] On July 30, The Hill reported that several progressive leaders and political groups urged Harris to pick Beshear or Walz as her running mate over Shapiro as an attempt to consolidate key voting groups and the Democratic base.[31] Politico reported on July 30 that Harris planned on interviewing potential running mates in the following days.[15]
Also on July 30, The Hill reported that while Harris had not yet finalized her running mate choice, she planned on campaigning with her eventual choice in several battleground states the following week.[32] That same day, CBS News reported that Harris will start interviewing her shortlist candidates as early as the next day, with Beshear, Buttigieg, Kelly, Shapiro and Walz being cited as the campaign's top tier list;[33] however, a report from CNN on the same day cited Kelly, Shapiro, and Walz as "top contenders" while people close to the selection process stated that Beshear and Buttigieg were not top contenders despite being "in conversation".[34]
On August 1, NBC News reported that the Harris campaign's vetting team had formally met with six finalists, Beshear, Buttigieg, Kelly, Shapiro, Walz, and Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker.[16][35] Pritzker had previously denied receiving vetting materials in July;[36] however, towards the end of the month it was reported he had undergone two vetting interviews.[37] That same day, Bloomberg News and Politico reported that Harris's vetting team had met privately with Kelly and Shapiro.[38] The New York Times reported that day that the vetting process, led by Eric Holder, was completed.[16] That same report found that out of the six finalists, Shapiro, Kelly and Walz were considered to be top contenders while acknowledging that Beshear, Buttigieg and Pritzker were part of the six finalists that Harris had narrowed down to.[16] On August 4, Harris interviewed Shapiro, Kelly, and Walz in person at the Number One Observatory Circle, as finalists. Following this, on August 5, it was reported the selection narrowed down to Walz and Shapiro;[39] however, Harris did not decide on August 5, choosing to "sleep on it" and inform her running mate in the morning.[40] On August 6, Harris chose Walz.[41]
Finalists
On August 4, Reuters reported that the two finalists were Walz and Shapiro.[39]
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Shortlist
On August 1, NBC News and The New York Times reported that the final shortlist included Andy Beshear, Pete Buttigieg, Mark Kelly, J. B. Pritzker, Josh Shapiro, and Tim Walz.[16][35]
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Formally vetted
The following candidates either reportedly received vetting materials from the Harris campaign on July 23, 2024, or were reportedly being considered.[46][47][48] Despite being listed as a serious contender, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stated on July 29 that she never received any vetting materials and declined to be considered, preferring to serve the remainder of her term.[49][50]
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The following were individuals speculated to be in consideration as Kamala Harris's running mate, but were not reported to have been vetted or otherwise seriously considered.
Members of Congress
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Governors
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The following were noted by media as potential running mates, but either publicly or privately withdrew their names from consideration. Some media outlets said that Whitmer was being vetted, but she denied this and declined to be considered.
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The selection was described by The New York Times as a proxy war between progressive and moderate Democrats. Progressive activists accused Shapiro and Kelly of being too conservative, specifically on labor issues and the Israel–Hamas war, therefore backing Walz. Moderates defended Shapiro, accusing progressives of antisemitism in their attacks. Both sides seemingly accepted Beshear.[63] An opinion piece in USA Today said that not picking Shapiro would signal support for a progressive platform, and one in The Guardian said picking Shapiro would signal moderation.[64][65]
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Andy Beshear
Notable Individuals
- Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers (Co-endorsement with Tim Walz)[66]
Mark Kelly
Political parties
Josh Shapiro
Governors
- Chris Christie, 55th Governor of New Jersey (Republican)[68]
Local officials
- Bob Brady, Chair of the Democratic Party of Philadelphia (1986-present), U.S. Representative for 1st (1998-2019)[69]
- Cherelle Parker, Mayor of Philadelphia (2024-present)[70]
Political parties
Tim Walz
U.S. Senators
- Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator from Vermont (2007–present), 2016 and 2020 candidate for the Democratic nomination for president (Independent)[71]
U.S. Representatives
- Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Representative from CA-11 (1987–present), Speaker of the House of Representatives (2007–2011; 2019–2023), House Minority Leader (2003–2007; 2011–2019)[72]
- Dean Phillips, U.S. Representative from MN-03 (2019-present), 2024 candidate for the Democratic nomination for president[73]
Individuals
- Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers (Co-endorsement with Andy Beshear)[66]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Andy Beshear |
Pete Buttigieg |
Roy Cooper |
Mark Kelly |
Wes Moore |
J. B. Pritzker |
Josh Shapiro |
Gretchen Whitmer |
Others |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouGov[74] | July 29–31, 2024 | 1,127 (A) | 5% | 12% | 1% | 16% | – | 2% | 8% | 5% | 18%[c] | 34% |
| Leger[75] | July 26–28, 2024 | 301 (A) | 7% | 11% | 8% | 10% | 2% | 4% | 18% | – | – | 41% |
| NPR/PBS News/Marist National[76] | July 22–23, 2024 | 1,309 (LV) | 6% | 21% | 8% | 13% | 6% | 7% | 17% | 21% | – | – |
| SurveyUSA/FairVote[77] | July 8–10, 2024 | 2,050 (LV) | 3% | 20% | 3% | – | – | 5% | 14% | 19% | 12%[d] | 19% |
- Buttigieg served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020 and was a resident of Indiana during his 2020 presidential campaign. He changed his residency to Michigan in 2022 and voted there in that year's midterm elections.[42][43][44]
- Includes Gavin Newsom on 6%, Tim Walz on 5%, Raphael Warnock on 2%
- Includes Amy Klobuchar on 5%, Jared Polis on 3%, and Jamie Raskin on 5%
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