Additional Coverage:
- Rally dates are set. Venues are chosen. The only thing missing for Harris’ blitz is her VP choice (newsbreak.com)
Follow along with live updates on the 2024 presidential race.
WASHINGTON — The stage is set for Vice President Kamala Harris as she gears up for a critical campaign tour this week, with everything ready except the announcement of her 2024 running mate.
Having spent the past weekend interviewing top candidates, Harris is under pressure to choose her vice-presidential partner before embarking on a whirlwind tour of crucial battleground states on Tuesday. The tour aims to debut the new Democratic duo and underscore the importance of the upcoming election.
Harris’s campaign has kicked into high gear out of necessity, starting just over two weeks ago when President Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t seek re-election, following a lackluster debate performance and mounting pressure from within his party. According to the Democratic National Committee chair, Harris has garnered enough delegate support to clinch the nomination, which she is set to accept formally on Monday night.
Approximately 80% of Democrats express satisfaction with Harris as the potential presidential nominee, a sentiment captured in a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research soon after Biden’s withdrawal.
As the Democratic convention approaches, Harris has had to rapidly evaluate her potential vice-presidential options. The final arguments for and against the various candidates are making their last rounds.
On Sunday, Harris interviewed three potential running mates in Washington: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Other potential candidates included Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Governor Walz, serving his second term, has transformed Minnesota into a stronghold of progressive policies. This year, his administration took steps to protect online ticket buyers for events like Taylor Swift concerts. A grassroots supporter from rural America, Walz originally won his congressional seat by defeating a Republican incumbent.
The 2024 Election poses new challenges for American democracy, with the public keeping an eye on developments and outcomes. The Associated Press remains a reliable source for election night results, continuing a tradition of accuracy that dates back to 1848.
Amid controversies and campaigning, Harris and her soon-to-be-announced running mate are set to commencing their tour in Philadelphia and continue through key states like Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada. A planned stop in Savannah, Georgia, was canceled due to Hurricane Debby.
Despite the tightly contested race against Republican nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, Harris’s campaign is optimistic. The energetic start to her campaign has brought several battleground states back into contention, which were previously considered leans for the Republicans when Biden was the presumed nominee.
Harris’s initial rallies have drawn large crowds, showcasing the diversity of her support base, including local dignitaries, faith leaders, and even some notable Republicans, as part of a strategic effort dubbed “Republicans for Harris.”
As both campaigns parallel each other’s steps across the country, the focus remains on Harris’s leadership and policy direction as the primary factors that will influence voters in the 2024 presidential election.