Harris’ Choice for VP Narrows

Kamala Harris has whittled down her list of VP picks down to just three names: Mark Kelly, Josh Shapiro, and Tim Walz.

Harris’ unpopularity until her de factonomination has been remarkable, making a choice for a VP pick especially important. Interestingly enough, all three of Harris’ choices are white men, which Democrats believe would “balance” Harris’ own demographics. Hindustan Times says:

US Vice President Kamala Harris is zeroing in on a group of potential running mates, as she faces a two-week dash to make the biggest decision of her nascent presidential bid.

Harris is considering a wide range of vice presidential candidates from the Democratic Party’s bench, though people familiar with the process say a short list has emerged including three elected officials with nationwide appeal: Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Shapiro and Walz are both governors in the greater Mid West, where Harris will have to perform well. Kelly could shore up her credentials over the border and the West generally. Politico continues:

A growing number of House Democrats are telling Kamala Harris that she should pick Sen. Mark Kelly as her vice president, believing he would offset her biggest current weakness: the border.

Kelly — a former Navy pivot, astronaut and now a senator from Arizona — has pushed the Biden administration to take a tougher position on border security and aligned more closely with other border-state Democrats, some of whom have either withheld endorsements for Harris’ presidential bid or openly condemned her handling of the border.

Harris will most likely pick someone who balances out her demographics, regionalism, and policies. However, this won’t guarantee her victory over Trump, who has already made inroads into many of these same communities they are competing over.

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