Kamala Narrows VP Search to 2 Final Contenders

As the clock ticks down to the November 5th election, Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris is zeroing in on her choice for vice president. With her decision nearly at hand, Harris has reportedly narrowed the field to two people.

According to three sources familiar with the process who spoke to Reuters, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are the last two candidates for Harris’ VP pick.

The final announcement is slated for Tuesday, just hours before Harris and her new running mate are scheduled to appear together at a rally at Temple University in Philadelphia. The event will mark the start of a rigorous five-day tour through seven key battleground states, pivotal in deciding the upcoming election.

According to OddsChecker, a site that aggregates betting odds from 11 bookmakers, Walz’s chances have improved significantly in recent days. The site’s analysis shows that six bookies have shortened odds on Walz, while three have him drifting and another three see his odds remaining stable. Meanwhile, Governor Shapiro remains the clear frontrunner and the only other candidate whose odds are also shortening. As the announcement nears, all other major contenders are seeing their odds drift.

Before his gubernatorial role, Governor Waltz was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented Minnesota’s 1st congressional district from 2007 to 2019. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, the Minnesota affiliate of the Democrat Party. Born in West Point, Nebraska, in 1964, he has a background in education, having worked as a high school geography teacher and a football coach.

Walz also served in the Army National Guard for 24 years, retiring with the rank of Command Sergeant Major. During his time in Congress, he was known for his work on veterans’ issues and agriculture. As governor, his administration has focused on education, health care, and rural development.

Meanwhile, before his gubernatorial term, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro served as the Attorney General of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2023. Another Democrat, he has built a reputation for his focus on issues such as consumer protection, criminal justice reform, and defending state laws against federal overreach. Born and raised in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Shapiro earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Throughout his political career, which also includes time as a state representative and as a commissioner for Montgomery County, Shapiro has been known for his approach and ability to work across the aisle, traits that have marked his political and legal initiatives.

The search for a running mate by Harris initially kicked into high gear two weeks ago, immediately following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race and his eventual endorsement of his VP. Since then, her campaign has been planning the best way to introduce her vice-presidential pick to the public. According to campaign officials familiar with the plans, the announcement is set to be made via a social media blitz that will feature both Harris and her chosen running mate, as they told Reuters.

Over the weekend, Harris engaged in a series of face-to-face meetings and detailed presentations from her vetting team, as she edges closer to choosing her running mate.