Vice President Kamala Harris, now the presumptive Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential race, has narrowed her search for a running mate to three top contenders, according to sources close to the campaign.
This development comes as recent polls show Harris’s favorability ratings remain stagnant and she is facing challenges in key demographics — and has just two weeks until the August 19 Democratic National Convention to make her decision.
Despite taking over for President Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee last week, Harris trails former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party nominee, in almost every poll.
The three remaining frontrunners for the coveted Harris running mate slot are reportedly Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Each of the three candidates potentially addressing areas where Harris has struggled to gain traction among voters.
A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted on July 26-27, 2024, shows Kelly leading the pack with a positive 10-point net favorability rating.
Kelly, best known for his background as a former astronaut, could potentially help shore up support in the crucial Southwest region and bring Arizona back into the fold for Democrats.
Gov. Shapiro and Gov. Beshear are considerably weaker with 4-point net favorability ratings, tied for second place in the poll. Shapiro’s success in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania and Beshear’s ability to win as a Democrat in the traditionally red state of Kentucky make them attractive options for a campaign looking to expand its electoral map.
The choice comes after weeks of concern within the Democratic Party about Harris’s ability to connect with voters and her readiness to lead the ticket.
Harris continues to face challenges. Her selection as the nominee following Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the race has been met with mixed reactions from within the party. Some Democrats have expressed concerns about her ability to defeat Trump in a general election matchup.
The urgency of the VP selection process is underscored by the compressed timeline Harris faces. With the Democratic National Convention looming and less than four months until Election Day, the campaign is under pressure to make a decision that could help address Harris’s perceived weaknesses and energize the Democratic base.
As the vetting process continues, the Harris campaign is reportedly focusing on candidates who can complement her strengths and potentially help win key swing states where she is trailing.
The stakes for this decision are particularly high given the unprecedented nature of Harris’s nomination and the challenges she faces in consolidating support across all wings of the Democratic Party, which has been thrown into chaos in recent weeks.