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From the Daily Caller: Vice President and likely Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris’ campaign began vetting potential running mates Monday night, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Harris’ campaign requested vetting materials from six candidates, according to the outlet’s White House reporter, Mark Thomas. He posted that the candidates for the Democratic ticket who have been approached are Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
The campaign’s reported shortlist excludes one notable name that was floated as a potential partner for the Vice President. Democrat Kentucky governor Andy Beshear told CNN he is not undergoing vetting at this time, according to Thomas. The governor’s ability to win in this ruby-red state twice and potential midwestern appeal made him seem like a prime candidate, but it does not appear that the Harris campaign will tap him. Beshear won his first election in 2019 by .4% and expanded his margin of victory to 5% during his 2023 reelection campaign.
It has previously been reported that both Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have stated that they were not interested in serving as a VP for Harris.
Harris’ campaign has requested vetting materials from potential VPs, including Cooper (NC), Kelly (AZ), Shapiro (PA), Whitmer (MI), Walz (MN) + Pritzker (IL), according to a person familiar. Beshear told CNN he hasn’t been asked to submit info at this point.
— Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) July 23, 2024
Michigan’s Muslim Voters May Block Jewish Governor from Being Democrats’ VP Pick
From Breitbart: Liberal journalists say the Muslim vote in Michigan is a wild card in a must-win swing state for Democrats — especially for vice-presidential contender Josh Shapiro, the popular Democratic governor of nearby Pennsylvania.
As a vice-presidential nominee, Shapiro “could help deliver the essential state of Pennsylvania, but his ardent support for Israel and criticism of pro-Gaza campus protests would reopen wounds in the Democratic Party that have lately started to heal,” said Michelle Goldberg, a columnist at the New York Times.
“Shapiro would be an excellent vice-presidential candidate,” added Pamela Paul, an independent-minded liberal at the New York Times. “But given the unfortunate but real antisemitism on the left right now …. this may not be the right time for a Jewish Democratic presidential candidate.”
CNN’s John King also noted that since Shapiro is Jewish, that might pose a problem.
CNN’s John King reports that Democrats are concerned that Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro’s Jewish faith is a risk if he is on Kamala Harris’ ticket.
The antisemitism in the Democrat Party is WILD. pic.twitter.com/JiOb1RI5pT
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 22, 2024
ABC News reported that Shapiro and Kelly are said to be the leading candidates for Harris’s running mate.
Shapiro, 51, was Pennsylvania’s attorney general before being elected governor in 2022 after defeating Republican Doug Mastriano.
Kelly, a 60-year-old former astronaut and Navy captain who is married to former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, won his Senate seat in 2022. He defeated Republican challenger Blake Masters.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly are the leading candidates to be Harris’ running mate, ABC News reports pic.twitter.com/mZpDGYrBuI
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 23, 2024
