In her memoir 107 Days, released Sept. 23, former Vice President Kamala Harris writes that she sought advice from Bill and Hillary Clinton on selecting a running mate before choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during her short 2024 presidential campaign.
“Very few people have ever made this decision. I called Hillary and Bill Clinton, because they knew what it was like and would give me candid and confidential advice,” Harris wrote.
She described that the Clintons cautioned her against choosing someone who would be an obvious “political marriage of convenience.”
“One of your strengths,’ they said, ‘is that you bring a joyful energy to the campaign. You have to choose someone who won’t work against that,’” she wrote of their conversation. “They told me to be aware that over the course of the campaign, people will be able to tell if it is a genuinely good relationship or a political marriage of convenience.”
Harris recalled Bill Clinton telling her Gore was a strong VP pick because “he knew things I didn’t” and their differences made it work. His advice: “You have to level with them and watch how they answer.”
She added that both Clintons stressed a running mate must see it as the opportunity of a lifetime, not chase instant recognition, since “they might have to swallow a lot of crap.”
Harris ultimately picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former congressman praised as her campaign’s “happy warrior.” She wrote that she needed a running mate who valued everyone’s dignity, though she didn’t say if she mentioned Walz to the Clintons while seeking their advice.
Choosing Walz over higher-profile Democrats, such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, was seen as a misstep that hurt Harris’ campaign against Trump. Walz faced criticism for “stolen valor” claims, strict pandemic rules, and a shaky debate against JD Vance. Harris, who references the Clintons a dozen times in her memoir, has highlighted her ties to them as her split with Biden’s political circle grows.
“We all hope to be mentored. We all hope to have support from those who come before. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. And certainly that’s true of politics. Hillary Clinton is one of those people that believes in lifting people up and supporting people,” Harris said from the stage of The Town Hall, a theater venue in Midtown Manhattan, where she kicked off her book tour Sept. 24. “And she follows through.”
At her New York book event, Harris said the Clintons were among her first calls after Biden exited the 2024 race, calling the conversation “the cutest thing.”
“So I have their home number, for Hillary and Bill, and it was the cutest thing. So I called and Hillary picked up and then Bill was in the other room, and she’s like, ‘It’s Kamala on the phone, Bill, pick up the other phone,'” she recounted on her book tour Sept. 24.
Harris said the Clintons quickly offered to campaign for her, with Hillary even suggesting an Amtrak ride. Her praise for them comes as Biden allies bristle at her jabs at the former president, including calling his reelection bid reckless and criticizing his disastrous debate with Trump.
