Now that US Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic presidential nomination, her decision on her vice presidential candidate is eagerly awaited. One of the candidates in high demand is the governor of the potentially decisive state of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro. But three other governors, a senator and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have also been mentioned as possible candidates for the office of vice president.
Harris is expected to name a candidate by Monday. On Tuesday, she will appear with her running mate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The selection of the vice presidential candidate is considered a strategically important decision. It is about winning potentially decisive votes in the states that will determine the outcome of the election – the so-called swing states.
If Harris wins the presidential election on November 5, she would not only be the first woman to hold the office, but also the first person of Asian descent and the second black head of state. Observers therefore believe it is likely that the 59-year-old will appoint a white man as vice president – ideally with government experience outside of Washington – in order to appeal to the broadest possible electorate.
In addition to Shapiro, Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina, Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky and Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, are considered possible choices. Mark Kelly, Senator from Arizona, is also being considered a possible vice-candidate. Cooper, Shapiro and Kelly come from swing states. Beshear is in his second term in office in what is actually a staunchly Republican state and could therefore be a key to winning the White House. Walz’s candidacy could be an advantage because his state of Minnesota has a similar electorate to that of neighboring states Michigan and Wisconsin, which played an important role in Biden’s victory in 2020.
Pete Buttigieg was also brought into play. The homosexual transport minister is considered one of the Democrats’ great talents. But the candidacy for vice president may come too early for Buttigieg. It would be overwhelming for many US voters if a homosexual were to run alongside a presidential candidate with Indian-African-American identity, is a widespread opinion.
No matter who becomes Harris’s running mate in the race against Republican Donald Trump, the decision-making process is unusually short. Normally, candidates are examined for months to determine their potential and their scandal-proneness.
Harris’ nomination was also a fast-track process. The current vice president secured enough delegate votes on Friday on the second day of online voting. But she was also the only candidate on the ballot for the five-day electronic vote among almost 4,000 delegates.
“We will win this election,” said the 59-year-old as she joined a party celebration by phone. The message to people should be “that our campaign is about the future,” said Harris. It is also about “expanding rights and freedoms.”
Usually, the presidential candidates of the two major US parties are officially nominated at party conventions. However, the Democratic Party Convention from August 19 to 22 in Chicago is now only there to celebrate Harris’s candidacy.
“Now that she is our nominee, I couldn’t be prouder,” President Joe Biden said in a congratulatory message on the online service X. He said one of his best decisions was to choose Harris as vice president. On July 21, after weeks of discussions about his mental fitness, the 81-year-old announced that he would not run in the election and spoke out in favor of Harris instead.
The discussion was triggered by Biden’s dismal performance in a TV debate against Trump. After the president gave up his candidacy for re-election, Trump announced that he would not take part in another debate with Harris.
Now the Republican has announced that he wants to do this after all. He has agreed with Fox News to debate the Democrat on September 4, the former president said. Harris has not yet commented on this.
The debate will take place in the US state of Pennsylvania and will be moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, Trump said. There will be an audience present. Fox News confirmed that the debate will take place with spectators and will follow similar rules to the first debate between Trump and US President Joe Biden on June 27 on CNN.
The personnel realignment of the Democrats is a challenge for Trump. With Biden’s withdrawal, his lead in the polls also decreased. Campaign donations for him in July were significantly lower than for Harris.
