Harris interviews vice presidential candidates today

Presumptive Democratic Nominee Kamala Harris will meet on Sunday with the main candidates to be his running mate, and among them are Governor Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.

According to multiple sources familiar with the plans, both governors will travel to Washington to meet with Harris. The Washington Post was the first to report the interviews with Harris’s top vice presidential candidates.

However, Harris is also having formal interviews with candidates who have not been confirmed in the media, both in person and virtually, according to a source familiar with the process. Harris herself had a virtual meeting with Biden when he was interviewing vice presidential candidates. Though that interview was during the pandemic, other candidates had in-person interviews with him at the time.

Shapiro is one of the most popular governors in the country and has a 60% approval ratingaccording to a recent Quinnipiac poll. He has won statewide office three times: twice as state attorney general and once as governor. As Pennsylvania’s top law enforcement official, he oversaw the investigation of widespread sexual abuse perpetrated by hundreds of priests and a Cover-up that lasted decades by the Catholic Church.

Walz, a former congressman, is serving his second term as governor and also has high approval ratings. With Democrats controlling both chambers of the state legislature during his second term, Walz has enacted a number of progressive priorities, including protecting access to abortion and gender-affirming health care, legalizing recreational marijuana, restricting access to guns, providing free school meals for all children and expanding paid family leave.

Kelly, Arizona’s junior senator, is a political centrist and former astronaut who is married to former Rep. Gabby Giffords, a talented politician who was severely injured and disabled following an assassination attempt in 2011. Kelly and Giffords have become prominent advocates for gun safety and founded a gun control policy organization in her name. Kelly also served in the Navy as a fighter pilot and was a decorated combat veteran before launching a career as an astronaut.

The Associated Press reported that Harris is also interviewing Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, citing two people familiar with Harris’ selection process.

President Biden said Friday that he had spoken with Harris about her running mate, but when pressed further on what qualities she should look for in a candidate, he replied, “I’ll let her figure that out.”

Harris is expected to name her vice presidential nominee on Tuesday. She and her running mate will campaign together in battleground states this week.

Harris has received the majority of the pledged and automatic delegates on the electronic list to secure the Democratic nomination, but voting remains open until Monday.

Melissa Quinn, Nidia Cavazos and Caitlin Yilek contributed to this report.